


The Sun Still Rises

by alightintheshadows



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Adventure, Alchemist!Maes, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Fake Character Death, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Maes Hughes Lives, Parental Maes Hughes, Parental Roy Mustang
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:07:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 32,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23062192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alightintheshadows/pseuds/alightintheshadows
Summary: After being shot and left for dead, Maes Hughes has to make a difficult decision. With no plan and no chance of seeing his family and friends until it's over, he sets out to find a way to counter the biggest conspiracy he's ever unearthed.
Relationships: Alphonse Elric & Edward Elric & Roy Mustang, Edward Elric & Maes Hughes, Maes Hughes & Roy Mustang, Maes Hughes & Van Hohenheim, Riza Hawkeye & Roy Mustang
Comments: 91
Kudos: 193





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm finally starting the process of posting my fics from FFN here and this is one that I'm very excited to be continuing! I should have all chapters that are written posted this week and the newest chapter should (ideally) be up by the end of the week! I hope you all enjoy this little AU!
> 
> I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Arm still poised to throw the knife he held tight in his grasp, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes stared at the woman before him. Suddenly, he couldn't feel the pain in his shoulder any more, or feel the blood flowing down his arm.

_Gracia?_

"You look surprised!"

No. Not Gracia. Second Lieutenant Ross had been standing there just a few seconds ago. But…how?

"What the hell are you?"

Whatever it was smiled.

A single shot resounded through the quiet night.

Blood splattered on the walls of the phone booth. He stumbled backward, his knife clattering on the ground. He barely had time to look down and see the dark red stain blossoming on his chest before he crashed to the ground. He tried grabbing on to the phone to keep himself up, but the blood already on his hands only caused him to slip.

Then he tried to breathe.

A massive rock might as well have been sitting on his chest. He couldn't catch his breath. Excruciating pain stemmed from the bullet wound and dispersed throughout his chest every time he tried.

Then he saw it.

That same red flash from before, that same crackle of energy.

His agony-filled eyes watched as red sparks danced over his wife's body. The bottom of her dress disappeared, revealing a pair of pale, muscular legs barely covered by black shorts with a black cloth wrapped around it. Long, black hair sprang out from the top of its head, only kept in its place by a black headband.

Whatever it was looked so…young. Not much older than Ed.

"Hey, Hughes? Hughes?"

_Roy._

His call went through. He had to tell Roy. Looking to the side, he saw the phone swinging by his head.

It took Herculean effort, but he reached for it with what little of his rapidly draining strength remained. A pained grunt escaped his lips, his entire body protesting the movement.

"No…."

His voice was barely audible, but he couldn't help but gasp as that creature leaned over him. It picked up the phone, just as his fingertips were about to touch it.

"You okay? Hughes!"

He couldn't do anything but watch as it hung up the phone. He slumped against the back of the phone booth. Whatever it was, it was talking. Whatever it said, he didn't hear.

_I didn't tell Roy…._

He watched the blood cascade from the wound to the concrete, streaming toward his fallen family photograph.

Whatever it was, it walked away.

He finally sucked in a deep breath, but exhaled a cry of agony. He brought his hand up to the wound.

It wouldn't help stop the bleeding.

He saw the blood cover his picture, one of his favorites. He knew he didn't have much longer.

His eyelids grew heavy.

"G-Gracia…."

A black car stopped in front of the phone booth. Someone jumped out.

"Hey! Hang in there!"

Whoever it was knelt in front of the Lieutenant Colonel, not minding the fact that he was kneeling in blood. Shrugging off his jacket, he placed it on the man's chest and put pressure on the wound.

"I need you to hold it there."

Clenching his teeth to try to prevent another pained cry from escaping, he applied as much pressure as he could to the wound. Any attempt to stop it was proven in vain when he found his arm sliding around the man's shoulders and he was lifted off the ground.

Whoever was trying to help him was practically dragging him to the car.

It was a waste of time and effort. He wasn't going to make it. This man had to know that.

_Wait. Maybe he could give one last message to Gracia and Elicia for me. Maybe he can tell them how sorry I am and how much I love them…._

"Tell…t-tell my wife—"

"Shut the hell up! I'm not telling your wife anything because you're not dying!"

He yanked the passenger door open and got Maes in the seat quickly, but gently to not irritate his wound any further. He jumped behind the wheel, tires screeching as he flipped the car around.

Once again, the Lieutenant Colonel's eyes threatened to droop shut.

"I need you to stay awake! Keep pressure on the wound. We're not far from the hospital."

Despite the darkness threatening to overcome him, those words caught his attention.

_Hospital? No! He can't take me there! Whatever that thing was…and that woman…they have connections to the military! They'll know I'm not dead!_

"No…hospital…."

_That thing saw the picture of my family. It knows about Elicia and Gracia. If it knows I'm still alive…._

He didn't want to think about it. Those things were willing to kill him without a second thought. He didn't have a single doubt they would go after his wife and daughter.

"I don't exactly have a lot of options if you want to live!" the man snapped, never taking his eyes off the road. "I saw that woman shoot you before transforming into…into…hell I don't know what I saw!"

Maes lurched to the side when they made a sharp turn. He couldn't stop the pained whimper that escaped him when he collided with the passenger door.

The hospital came into view.

"No…." the Lieutenant Colonel moaned.

"You're just going to have to trust me."

He was surprised when they drove straight past the front entrance and around to the back of the building. A firm, yet somehow gentle, hand on his chest kept him in place as the car screeched to a stop, preventing him from flying into the windshield and dashboard.

Within seconds, Maes once again found his arms slung across the man's shoulders. The two staggered toward the lone door.

"Dammit!" the man swore as he fished around his pockets.

Finally producing a set of keys, he unlocked the door. Quickly and quietly, he practically dragged Maes down the hall. He peered down the next hallway. Seeing no one, they continued on.

It was getting harder and harder for Maes to remain conscious.

"We're almost there."

It was as if the man could sense it. The Lieutenant Colonel forced his eyes to stay open, forced his feet to trudge along the best that he could.

"Dr. Knox?"

"Son of a bitch," the doctor muttered under his breath.

They weren't exactly racing down the hallway, so it took no time at all for a young nurse to catch up with them.

"What are you…oh my!"

Her eyes widened when she saw the state of the injured Lieutenant Colonel.

"Follow me," Knox ordered, continuing on down the hall.

"But, sir, why are you going to the morgue? That man needs to go to an operating room!"

_Morgue? Why's he taking me to the morgue? I'm not dead…yet…._

"Just do as I say!" he snapped. "Actually, go on ahead of me. Clear off one of the tables. Don't let anyone else down here."

Thankfully, the nurse didn't ask any further questions. She ran down the hall and disappeared behind a set of double doors.

Dr. Knox stumbled through them shortly after with Maes in tow, practically carrying all of the man's weight.

"Help me get him on the table!"

The young nurse did as she was told. Without needing to be asked, she cut away at his jacket and shirt.

"What happened?" she asked.

"He was shot," Knox explained as he rummaged through his supplies. "From the looks of it, the bullet just missed his heart. Seems like something else punctured his shoulder." Finding everything he needed, he walked back over to the table, looking over the injuries. He handed the nurse a clean rag. "Keep pressure on that shoulder wound. It won't stop bleeding and he won't last much longer if that keeps up. I'll get the bullet out."

Grabbing another cloth, he wiped the blood away from the bullet wound on the injured man's chest. Now clear of blood, he could see into the wound. It would take some digging around to find and extract the bullet.

He picked up a scalpel and some forceps.

"I'm really sorry, but this is going to hurt."

Maes was barely coherent enough to hear what the doctor said before his vision flashed white and a stabbing pain shot through his still throbbing chest.

A scream threatened to escape him. He clenched his teeth to try to stop it, reducing it to just a pained groan; however, the nurse still winced at the sound.

She couldn't even begin to imagine how much this hurt.

"Hold him down!" Knox ordered as Maes involuntarily writhed on the table.

A firm hand on both shoulders, the nurse had to use all of her strength to hold him still.

The Lieutenant Colonel's eyes bulged out of his skull as the doctor dug deeper into the wound. The darkness that was trying to claim him earlier was making a comeback.

"I found it!" Knox whispered. "Hang on! We're almost done!"

After what seemed like an agonizing eternity, the doctor pulled the forceps out of the wound, a bullet clamped between the metal.

However, Maes didn't see it. His eyes closed. He couldn't fight to stay conscious any longer.

"Hey!" Knox yelled, gently slapping the side of his face. "You need to stay awake!"

"I'm…sorry…." Maes slurred, his body going limp.

_Gracia…Elicia…I'm so sorry. Ed…Al…whatever your on to, you need to stop. Conspiracies be damned! You boys are going to get yourselves killed. Roy…Roy…._

Everything faded to black.

"Dammit!" The doctor turned to the young nurse. "I need you to get me an IV and O negative blood. He's going to need a transfusion if he's going to make it. Go!" She turned to leave. "Make sure no one follows you and don't tell anyone about him. The military doesn't want it known that he's here."

She nodded, heading out the door.

He sighed, praying that she would do as he asked. Whenever he mentioned the military, no one ever seemed to question him. Given his past, he was quite grateful for that.

Grabbing a needle and the proper thread, he stitched up the bullet and shoulder wounds.

"You're going to be fine," he whispered, even though his patient was unconscious. "You're going to be fine."

He sincerely hoped that would be true.

***break***

He first became aware of the dull throbbing in his chest.

_I thought I wouldn't be able to feel pain after death. I've already lost my wife and daughter…my friends…the friends that I've come to call my family. I thought, at the very least, the pain would end. Why the hell…._

"Can you hear me?"

_That voice…wait! That's the guy who found me in the phone booth. He shouldn't be here._

_But he is…._

_That has to mean…._

It took more effort than he ever thought would be necessary for such a simple task, but Maes managed to peel his eyes open.

_I'm alive._

Dr. Knox hovered over him, arms crossed over his chest.

Now that he wasn't on the verge of bleeding to death, he finally got a good look at the man. Blood covered his shirt and pants.

_My blood._

Meeting his eyes, he could see a sense of weariness in them, but also a tad of relief.

Without thinking he tried to sit up, but two firm hands on his shoulders pushed him back down on something soft.

"You need to rest," Knox said sternly. "I'm sorry. I know an autopsy table probably isn't the most comfortable thing to lie on, but I couldn't think of a better place to take you that had the supplies I needed since you didn't want anyone to know you were here. The nurse brought a pillow for you to try to make you more comfortable. Don't worry, she won't let anyone know you're down here."

Maes nodded, relieved the man had understood what he meant in the car. The doctor walked over to the other side of the table. That's when he noticed the IV the man had set up. After checking the bag of fluid, Knox turned his attention back to the Lieutenant Colonel.

"How—"

Maes couldn't even finish his question before he fell into a coughing fit. Knox handed him a cup of water. Nodding in thanks, he gratefully accepted it and had to keep himself from drinking it all in one gulp.

"How can I ever thank you?" he asked.

This man saved his life. There had to be something he could do.

The doctor's eyes turned cold.

"Never mind that. Now, I would really like you to explain what the hell happened."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Got the second chapter posted a little sooner than I thought! I sincerely hope you all enjoy reading this!
> 
> I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

_"Never mind that. Now, I would really like you to explain what the hell happened."_

What the hell did happen?

That was an excellent question.

Maes had certainly stumbled across something he wasn't meant to. He smiled inwardly. Doing so was his job after all, but he had never investigated anything that could have actually gotten him killed.

In fact, he had never investigated anything about those…things.

Although, after hearing about the fifth laboratory from the Elric brothers, he shouldn't have been surprised. Hell, he just recently learned that the youngest Elric was a soul alchemically bound to a suit of armor. This shouldn't have boggled his mind as much as it did.

A woman that could extend her nails out and pierce anyone in her way. A creature that could shapeshift into anything it wanted.

Those were the only two he knew about. There could be more.

If the corruption was coming from within the military and they had creatures like these at their disposal….

"Well?"

Knox snapped him back to reality. The way the man's arms were crossed over his chest, it was obvious he was expecting an answer.

He couldn't tell him everything…or anything for that matter. The doctor saved his life. He couldn't put him in danger.

"I-I can't—"

"And none of this bullshit about me not believing you! I saw that red flash. I saw it transform into…whatever the hell that was! After seeing that, I'm quite open to any explanation that you have."

Maes sighed and closed his eyes.

"That's not why I can't tell you."

He managed to peel his eyes back open and looked back to Knox, the blood loss he suffered through just mere hours ago making it tempting to let them stay closed. The man's arms were still crossed over his chest, but his gaze had softened just a smidge.

"I'm aware you have every right to know," Maes continued. "If I could tell you without there being any repercussions, I would, but I can't put you in that kind of danger. Those things were willing to kill me because of what I found out."

"Really? I hadn't noticed by the way you were shot and left for dead in a phone booth."

Maes ran a hand through his hair, ignoring the sarcasm.

"I thought nobody knew about what I was investigating. But they knew. That thing you saw, there's another one of them. There might be more. I honestly don't know."

Knox adjusted his glasses.

"Does this have anything to do with the riots in Liore?"

The Lieutenant Colonel's eyes widened.

"How the hell did you know about that?"

"I have an old friend from my days in Ishval that keeps me updated on everything going on in the military," the doctor explained. "Do you happen to know Colonel Mustang?"

The corners of the Lieutenant Colonel's lips quirked into a smirk.

"You could say that…." He trailed off when he thought of Roy. "He…he was actually the person I was trying to call before…."

The doctor's mouth set into a grim line.

"Right."

He walked over to one of the other tables and rummaged through some papers. The two were silent before Maes got himself to finally speak up.

"How did you find me?"

"I heard the gunshot," came the terse reply.

"But why were you out so late?"

Maes wasn't ungrateful in the slightest. However, most people he knew wouldn't have been out at that time. Most of the military personnel in Central Command were long gone for the night.

Then there was the fact that Knox wasn't just a civilian. He served in Ishval, and Roy was keeping him involved in the military's plans and investigations.

Maes couldn't help but be curious.

He could hear paper crinkling as the doctor's grip tightened around those in his hand. Knox pinched the bridge of his nose, as if that would help fend off the memories he tried so hard to keep at bay.

**_*flashback*_ **

_He braced himself as he unzipped yet another body bag. The stench of burnt flesh assaulted his senses. He managed not to gag._

_Unfortunately, he'd been through this process quite frequently as of late. He carefully removed the bag, revealing a small corpse._

_Another child._

_He'd seen these on a number of occasions. He was ordered to study the bodies of burn victims, after all. This wasn't exactly new._

_"The Flame Alchemist strikes again," he muttered under his breath._

_He had performed autopsies on a number of Ishvalans, several of which had been unfortunate enough to be caught in Mustang's flames. He winced, knowing what it would do to the man if he were to ever see this body._

_He knew Roy Mustang wouldn't intentionally obliterate a child, but this was war. Odds were, the kid was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Flame Alchemist was just following orders._

_Just like him. He was just following orders._

_He turned to retrieve a scalpel. He'd done this routine so many times he didn't have to think about it anymore._

_Hardly any of the doctors did._

_"Why didn't you save me?"_

_Facing the corpse, he dropped his scalpel._

_The charred limbs twitched on the autopsy table. Slowly, it sat up, chunks of flesh falling off as it moved. Blackened fingers grasped at his shirt._

_"Why didn't you save me? Aren't you a doctor? I was human, just like you. Why didn't you save me?"_

_He ripped the fingers off of his shirt, unintentionally breaking them off the burnt hand. Staggering backwards, he lost his footing and fell to the ground. He tried to scramble away from the table, but his limbs were heavy. He couldn't move._

_The corpse rolled off the table, crawling toward him._

_"Why didn't you save me?"_

**_*end flashback*_ **

Knox nearly shuddered as he remembered the horrific dream. That particular nightmare had paid him a visit on a number of occasions, but it still made his blood run cold and he woke up drenched in sweat every single time.

More often than not, he would drive around Central whenever he dreamt about Ishval. He couldn't exactly explain it, but it usually helped.

_Maybe because it symbolizes me running away from my past._

He almost laughed at the thought.

_How cowardly._

"I was out for a drive," the doctor simply stated. "I was heading home and was at a stop sign just around the corner from that phone booth. That's when I saw the red flash. I heard the gunshot a few seconds later. There was another flash, and that's when I saw it transform. Whatever shot you ran down the street away from me. I waited a minute, in case it decided to come back."

Maes nodded. A silence grew between the two as the doctor continued to search for the papers he was looking for. His gruff voice sliced through it moments later.

"You didn't want me to bring you here," he said. "You won't tell me everything that happened because you believe you're putting me in danger. I know you won't want to put your wife and daughter in danger."

Maes tensed up.

_How did he know about…._

"I found your wallet in your pocket," Knox explained, gesturing to where his jacket was laying on a nearby chair with his wallet on top of it. "Now, I need to know what you—"

"I'm dead."

Knox blinked at him.

Maes was stunned at his own words. Hearing them out loud sounded like a foreign language.

But they had to be true.

"Maes Hughes is dead," he repeated. "No one can know that I'm alive. Several lives could be lost, including yours, if it gets back to the military that I survived. They know me. They know I have a family. They know everyone I care about. They'll think I told them about what I discovered. _They can't know I'm alive."_

The doctor didn't look the slightest bit surprised. He walked over to Maes and showed him the papers.

An autopsy report.

"I can fill this out, then you'll officially be dead."

It was the Lieutenant Colonel's turn to blink at the man.

_It can't be this simple. I know this needs to happen, but there has to be more to this than just filling out a report._

"I know every mortician in this city," Knox continued, as if he had read his mind. "I have to do business with them quite often. I can tell them to arrange a closed casket funeral. They won't ask any questions. They usually don't when the military is involved."

Maes stared at the doctor in disbelief. Knox smirked at him.

"This isn't exactly the first time I've helped fake a death."

Maes grinned. No wonder Roy kept the man in the loop. He was very resourceful and could be a great help if he needed it.

He turned his gaze to the ceiling. The doctor started filling out the paperwork.

_Maes Hughes is dead…._

_I'm dead…._

_So what do I do now?_

"I have to leave Central," Maes said, not realizing he was answering his own question aloud.

"Right now, you're not going anywhere." Knox paused from the paperwork to check the IV. "Hell, I'm surprised you've managed to stay awake this long. You should get some rest. You can figure out what you're going to do when you wake up and have healed a bit."

Maes nodded. His eyes drooped shut, some much needed sleep coming to claim him. His eyelids sprang back open when he heard a phone ringing.

***break***

Riza cracked an eye open.

_Was that…a knock at my door?_

She could see the clock due to the moonlight streaming in through her window. It was almost half past three in the morning. No one would be coming to visit her at this hour. She rolled over, drawing the covers tighter around her and trying to fall back asleep.

That's when she heard it again.

Grabbing her gun from her nightstand, she crept out of her bedroom and through the small living area. Silently, she moved to the door, glancing through the peephole.

Her eyes widened.

Before her guest could knock again, she unlocked the door and opened it.

"Colonel?"

Roy Mustang stood before her.

Her commanding officer was still in his uniform. Nothing about him seemed out of the ordinary, until she met his gaze. She didn't see that fiery determination that served as a constant reminder for why she chose to follow this man.

He looked lost.

Pain filled those obsidian eyes, slowly spreading to the rest of his features. He opened his mouth, then closed it.

He finally spoke, his voice barely even a whisper.

"Hughes is dead."

Riza couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her.

"Sir…." she trailed off.

Nothing she could say would help him at the moment.

Silently, she stepped aside and motioned for him to enter. He hesitated, but eventually stepped inside.

_"Knox, I know it's really late, but can you do me a favor? I need you to check if someone was brought in to the hospital."_

_"Mustang, you're lucky I'm filling out reports right now. If I was about to leave, this wouldn't be my problem."_

_"Can…can you see if a Maes Hughes was checked in? It would probably be within the last couple of hours."_

_A brief pause on the other end._

_"Oh…I'm sorry. He was brought straight down to the morgue. From what I heard, he suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. A bystander saw him and tried to rush him here, but he bled out before they were even half way here. I'm supposed to officially perform the autopsy tomorrow."_

_Silence._

_"Mustang, was he a friend of yours?"_

The Colonel sat at his First Lieutenant's kitchen table, his head in his hands. A steaming mug of tea was placed in front of him. He met Riza's gaze and nodded in thanks. She sat across the table from him.

They sat in silence, only broken by the gentle tap from setting the mug back on the table after a sip of tea.

Riza couldn't take her eyes off her superior.

He didn't look like he was about to burst into tears. He didn't look angry.

Honestly, it didn't look like he was feeling anything.

She knew better than to ask him how he was doing. Right now, he probably wouldn't even give her an answer.

"He was shot," Roy said, running a hand through his hair. "Someone shot him. How…why would someone do that?"

The question sounded almost childish.

But she knew.

_Why would someone do that to Maes of all people?_

The Colonel took a sip of tea, the tense quietness returning to the kitchen, but it didn't remain for long.

"He had a wife and daughter waiting for him to come home."

She grimaced, guilt creeping its way into her mind.

Her initial thoughts hadn't gone to Gracia and Elicia, although they probably should have. She had been too preoccupied with her superior.

She briefly wondered if they even knew yet.

Elicia was probably too young to understand what happened…too young to understand that her dad would never come home.

He would never tuck her in to bed again. He would never take a picture of her again and show it to everyone he knew. He would never hold her again.

He was gone…and she wouldn't understand that.

"He wasn't even trying to become Fuhrer," Roy spoke again, but this time with a little more volume to his voice. "All he wanted to do was go home to his wife and daughter every night. He wasn't trying to rise through the ranks. No one should've had a problem with him, within the military or otherwise. If anything, it should have been me that was shot."

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

They might not have been at work, but Riza couldn't help the formalities.

Roy nodded.

"I strongly believe Lieutenant Colonel Hughes would disagree with you. I know he supported your goals. I know he was doing everything he could to help you, but I don't believe what happened to him had any connection to you."

The Colonel didn't have to say it. She knew he felt responsible for his death in some way. Roy's ambitions could get him into some serious trouble with the higher-ups if they were aware of his intentions.

She and Maes supported Roy the most of anyone. They were there with him in Ishval. They saw the fatal consequences of a corrupted military.

They knew Roy had to have all the help he could get if he was going to achieve his goals.

They also knew one of Roy's biggest fears was something happening to anyone that supported him.

He sighed and buried his face in his hands.

"I know," he mumbled.

"However," Riza continued. "I know that it doesn't make what happened any less sad, or make you feel any better. I know you two were close."

Roy dropped his hands away from his face. The two were silent for a bit. Riza remained at the table, fearful that if she even moved, it might give him some sort of indication he needed to leave.

He didn't. She didn't want him to.

He shouldn't be alone right now.

On the other hand, she didn't want to cut into the silence that filled her kitchen. She knew the Lieutenant Colonel, but not like her superior did.

While she was aware Maes could get on Roy's nerves with all of his photos and gushing about his wife and daughter, she was even more aware of the bond between those two that she couldn't begin to understand.

It wouldn't be easy for him to accept that his best friend was dead.

She wasn't sure what Roy would want to talk about, if anything. All she knew is that he would speak when he wanted to.

She lifted her mug to her lips, taking another sip of the tea that was finally getting cold.

"You know, I never thought I would want a brother," Roy said, breaking the silence. "I never had one to look up to. I grew up with several sisters. I thought that was all I needed." He paused and let out a soft chuckle. "I didn't even like Hughes when I first met him at the academy. But then…he became the greatest friend I've ever had, as well as the strongest man I've ever known.

"I honestly envied his strength. He was always able to smile for his wife and daughter, despite the pain of remembering his time in Ishval. That envy soon changed to desire. I wanted to be like him, in that respect. I…I finally had someone I really looked up to. I considered him a brother in every way but blood. I was _proud_ to. Maes…Maes showed me how much I needed a brother…how much I needed someone like _him_."

There was a quiver in his voice, but no tears streamed down his face. In fact, he didn't look any different than when he first entered her home.

He glanced at the clock, standing upon seeing the time.

"My apologies, Lieutenant. I really shouldn't have bothered you at this hour and kept you up."

He was heading for the door when Riza put a hand on his shoulder.

"No need to apologize, sir. However, I would feel more comfortable if you stayed here for the rest of the night. We have to be at work in a few hours anyway. I have some extra blankets."

The Colonel looked like he was wanting to protest, but eventually sighed and let her guide him to the couch. She disappeared down the hall to find him some blankets and a pillow.

When she came back, he was already sprawled out on the couch. Today's events must have come crashing down on him. By the slow rise and fall of his chest, he was close to falling asleep if he wasn't already.

She settled for draping a blanket over him.

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

It was so quiet. She wasn't sure if she actually heard it.

She went back to her bedroom and crawled back under the covers. She shut her eyes, trying to get a couple more hours of sleep before they both had to get up.

Tomorrow was going to be a very long day.

Tomorrow was the day she knew the Colonel would start investigating, and she would help as much as he would let her.

They were going to find who killed Maes Hughes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is! I hope you all enjoyed the scene with Roy and Riza. I should also note that constructive criticism is always welcome as I'm always looking to improve my writing! Until next time!


	3. Chapter 3

Maes fought the urge to squirm under the tense silence that filled the car. Knox might have been looking at the road, but he knew disapproval gleamed in those eyes. He absentmindedly rubbed his sore chest and stared out the window.

"You really should rest more. It takes more than three days to get over a gunshot wound."

The former Lieutenant Colonel nearly laughed. He supposed the doctor couldn't help it.

"I can't stay here."

Knox only grunted in response.

Much against the doctor's suggestion, Maes decided it was time to leave. The longer he stayed in Central, the greater the chance there was of someone he knew seeing him.

Besides, he couldn't put the doctor in any more danger than he already had. Despite his gruff nature, Knox had taken him to his own home after he finished the necessary paperwork. It had been rough, but the two got to the house before sunrise. Maes hadn't been in any condition to move, but a house would be more comfortable to recover in than the morgue.

Honestly, he couldn't even remember Knox actually getting him inside. He must have passed out because the next thing he knew he was in a dark room, covered with blankets and an IV in his arm.

He hadn't done much at all the past three days aside from sleep. He and Knox rarely spoke except when the doctor needed to check on his shoulder and chest wounds.

For that, he was grateful.

For once, he wasn't much in the mood to be talking. Knox seemed to understand that.

The car slowly came to a stop. The doctor still didn't look at him.

"Wait here."

Maes fidgeted with the hood of his jacket before pulling the garment tighter around himself, despite the fact he wasn't cold. Unconsciously, he slouched further down into his seat. He inhaled deeply, ignoring the slight burst of pain in his chest, and let out a slow, shuddering breath.

_There's absolutely no going back now._

He stared down at the white button-down shirt and black slacks Knox had been kind enough to spare for him. It seemed so…dull. He almost chuckled. Normally, he would never wear this sort of thing when he was out of uniform, but he supposed that was the point.

_You're dead. Maes Hughes is dead._

Reality finally caught up to him when Knox gave him a jacket and instructed him to keep his hood up.

No one could recognize him. Not a single soul.

_You're dead. Maes Hughes is dead._

He practically jumped out of his skin when someone tapped the passenger side window. After glancing around one more time, Knox motioned for him to get out of the car.

Hesitantly, Maes followed the unspoken command. The doctor walked around to the trunk of the car before handing him his train ticket.

"I know you said you're wanting to go to Liore," Knox said as he opened the trunk. "That ticket will get you to East City."

He pulled out a new billfold and handed it to the former Lieutenant Colonel, nearly chuckling when his eyes widened when he peeked at the contents inside.

"That should be more than enough to get you a train ticket to a city closer to Liore. There's a lot more in here." He paused to lift a suitcase out of the trunk. "There's also a few changes of clothes. This should be enough to keep you comfortable for a while."

Maes opened and closed his mouth a few times.

"Y-You can't…you've already done so much…." he managed to get out.

Knox smirked at him.

"I told you that this isn't the first time I've helped fake a death." He glanced at his watch. "You should get to your train. It leaves in ten minutes."

Not having much time to argue, Maes picked up the suitcase. He turned to head inside the station, but paused and turned back around to face the doctor.

"Is there anything at all I can do to repay you?"

Knox was just starting to get back in his car, but stopped when he heard Maes' voice.

"Obviously, there's something going on that I don't know about, and I don't want to know if it nearly got you killed and you're willing to leave after only three days of recovery." He adjusted his glasses, the glare disappearing so Maes could actually look the man in the eyes. "This corruption in our military needs to end. Too many innocent people have been killed. Put an end to whatever this is and come back. Then we can talk about repayment."

Before Maes could say anything else, the doctor was already back in his car. He watched as the man drove away.

Snapping back to reality and making sure his hood was concealing as much of his face as it could, he rushed into the train station. There was only one train actually running. Honestly, he was quite surprised the doctor even managed to find him a train departing to East City this late at night.

Successfully boarding, he made his way toward the very back of the train, noticing how each car held fewer and fewer people the further back he went. He finally plopped down in a seat, only three other people sharing the car with him.

Within seconds, the train was rolling out of the station.

The former Lieutenant Colonel stared out the window. The buildings and streets that made up Central soon became nothing more than blurs as the train picked up speed. Inwardly, he willed the train to slow down.

_I just need one last look. One last look at Central._

Of course, that wasn't what he was really needing.

_One last chance to see my family._

However, the train didn't slow down in the slightest. He held a hand up to the window as the city— _his home_ —flashed by.

Much sooner than he would have liked, the city disappeared.

"Gracia…Elicia…." he muttered.

Central was behind him. Gracia and Elicia were behind him, and he couldn't even see them. He couldn't contact them. He couldn't tell them that he was okay.

_I even promised Elicia I would try to come home early…and I didn't come home at all._

He turned his gaze away from the window. Without the light of the city, there was nothing to see. There was only darkness. He slouched further in his seat, taking the hood off of his head. It served no purpose at this point.

He ran a hand through his hair, trying to keep the tears welling in his eyes at bay. His attempts were in vain.

As the train ventured further into the darkness, he ventured further into his new reality.

_Elicia, I'm so sorry I broke my promise. I hope you understand that I would give anything to see you again. I hope you know that I would never abandon you…but that's probably how you're going to feel. I wish I could tell you how much I love you, just one more time, but I can't._

_Gracia…I can't possibly imagine how you're feeling. I won't be there to help you tuck Elicia into bed again. We can't tell her a bedtime story together. I won't be there to hold you in my arms as we fall asleep._

_And I won't even get the chance to tell you I'm sorry._

_I'm sorry that I let this happen. I promised you that I would always come home to you, and I didn't. I hope you can still find a way to be happy. You deserve to be._

_You and Elicia both do…and I'm sorry I can't provide that for you anymore._

He wiped away the tears rolling down his cheeks.

_Roy, you don't understand the true corruption of our military. I know you want to become Fuhrer, but I don't know if you ever will. You're a good man, and a truly good man can't rise to power and fix a military that so desperately needs to be fixed with this kind of corruption._

_You'll be lucky if you don't get yourself killed._   
_Edward…Alphonse…get the hell out of the military. You two were right. You boys are definitely going to get yourselves killed if you meddle in this any further. You both are too damn smart for your own good._

He pinched the bridge of his nose, willing the tears to stop flowing. His wife and daughter were behind him now. So was his best friend. So were the two boys he had only met just a couple of months ago but had already come to love like family.

He remembered his words to Knox earlier that very day. He remembered telling the doctor that he had to head east.

He had to go to Liore.

The Elrics were right. He closed his eyes. The transmutation circle Ed drew for him was etched in his memory. He almost laughed.

To think he had only looked into it to humor the boys. To think he researched in the hopes he could tell them that their concerns were for nothing. Hell, he'd almost told them that in the first place, but there was something in Ed's eyes. Something in his voice. He'd even reached out to the Lieutenant Colonel instead of trying to figure this out on his own.

Even if he'd personally thought it wasn't worth looking into, he couldn't deny Ed for that reason alone.

The last few moments before that monster attacked him were a little hazy, but the sickening dread that pooled in his stomach was something he couldn't forget despite the events that occurred that night, mostly because it never went away.

All of that bloodshed…Ishval…the ongoing fighting in the West…the riots in Liore….

All of those lives lost…just for a transmutation circle.

With the riots in Liore still going on, that seemed to be the most logical place to start investigating.

Or, maybe it would be if he wasn't dead.

_You're dead. Maes Hughes is dead._

_You're all alone._

He sighed and buried his face in his hands.

_Even when I get to Liore, what am I going to do? It's not like I can stop the riots. Forces from Central are there. They'd recognize me in a heartbeat and report that I'm actually alive._

_What would happen to Gracia and Elicia then?_

_Even if I wasn't discovered by the military, there might be more of those…things._

He couldn't stop the shudder that tremored throughout his body, absentmindedly rubbing at the bandages on his chest.

_There are at least two of them, but there could be more. I can't kill those things on my own._

He swung his legs up into the seat next to him, letting his head rest back against the window. His eyes slowly drooped shut.

_Is it even worth going to Liore? Is it worth investigating on my own?_

_Can I do anything at all?_

***break***

_He ran through the streets, not bothering to adjust the hood of his jacket when it fell off._

_"I think he went that way!"_

_Quickly peeking over his shoulder to make sure no one was following him, he ducked into an alley and crouched behind a dumpster. Footsteps ran past the alley. He held his breath._

_"I know you're here!" a voice echoed down the alley. His blood froze. "You seem surprised!"_

_The second he heard those words, pain blossomed in his chest. He looked down expecting to see blood, but he found none. Heavy footsteps thundered closer and closer to him, but then they stopped._

_After what seemed to be an eternity, they retreated._

_He waited a few minutes before risking a glance from behind the dumpster, only to find that he was alone yet again._

_Remaining in the building's shadow, he crept toward the mouth of the alley. His heart leapt into his throat when he quite literally bumped into someone the second he was out of the alley. He reached for a knife and staggered to his feet._

_"M-Maes?"_

_He nearly dropped the knife. The man in front of him slowly sat upright before finally standing up._

_"Roy?"_

_His best friend simply stared at him. His mouth opened, his bottom lip trembling slightly._

_"It can't be you…you died…I read the autopsy report myself…."_

_Just as Roy took a step forward, blood splattered the both of them. The two men stared at Roy's chest._

_Three black claws sprouted from the once blue uniform. They retracted, and Roy fell to the ground. Before he even knew what he was doing, he was on his knees next to his fallen friend._

_"What a shame."_

_He looked up and was greeted with that sight of that black-haired woman. She seemed to be admiring her nails._

_"Such a waste of life."_

_A spine-chilling laugh assaulted his ears._

_"He'd probably still be alive if you had just stayed dead."_

_The two creatures loomed over him. The shape-shifter used his foot to pin him to the ground, the weight nearly crushing him. He strained to get in any sort of breath. He couldn't take it. Black spots danced across his vision._

_He couldn't breathe._

Maes woke up with aloud gasp. He glanced around the train car, noting that the other passengers were asleep. Taking deep, shaky breaths, he slouched back down in is seat. He shivered, noticing that his shirt and jacket were now drenched in sweat. He grappled for his suitcase. He took a quick look around just to be safe before opening it.

His jaw dropped.

Knox certainly hadn't been kidding when he said there was enough money to keep him comfortable for a while. Between the money in his suitcase and new wallet, he could stay at an inn every night for almost six months if he had to make an estimate.

_How the hell did he get all of this money?_

On second thought, he probably didn't want to know.

He grabbed another shirt and began to rummage through the suitcase to see what else the doctor packed in here. He recognized a few of his knives and noticed a plethora of bandages. He also saw a gun at the very bottom of the suitcase and some bullets.

However, there was one thing that caught his attention, and some of the tears from last night were making a return.

Wrapped inside of a piece of paper was a photo of him, Gracia, and Elicia. Half of the picture had a reddish tint. He ran a finger over himself in the photo, noting that's where a majority of the stain was.

_How ironic._

He looked at the note.

_I probably shouldn't have put this in here, but I figured you might need it. I don't think I need to tell you the importance of you holding onto it and making sure you don't drop it._

He gripped the photo tighter. This was dropped at the crime scene. He would be lying if he said he wasn't curious as to how Knox managed to get this out of evidence.

_Too bad I'll never get to know._

He clutched the photo to his chest and looked back to the note, his eyes zoning in on the last two lines.

_Take care and come back._

_Your family needs you._

He clenched his eyes shut and shook his head.

_Of course they need me. I know that, but I can't go home. There isn't anything I can do._

He opened his eyes and stared out the window, noticing rays of yellow, orange, and pink peeking up from the horizon. Soon enough, he could see the sun rising, illuminating the previously dark sky with a radiant light.

His mouth set into a grim line.

_My life has been completely destroyed. I can't see my wife and daughter. I can't see my best friend. My world has ended…._

_Yet the sun still rises. The rest of the world moves on while I'm stuck in the shambles that remains of my own._

He looked back down to the photo. His smiling wife and daughter stared back at him.  
 _"I'll see you tonight, dear."_

_"Daddy, can you try to come home early?"_

He leaned back and closed his eyes, but it wasn't black.

His smiling wife and daughter broke through the darkness. He saw Elicia running through their living room and leaping into his arms as he got home. His saw himself slinging his arm around his best friend, and they both were smiling, something that seemed to become more and more rare for Roy to do as of late.

He saw a blond in a bold red coat and a massive suit of armor that housed one of the kindest souls he had ever come to meet. He saw their friend, a beautiful young woman that smiled at his daughter like she was her own sister.

_Gracia…Elicia…Roy…Edward…Alphonse…Winry…._

A dark voice seemed to speak from within the deepest depths of his mind.

_You'll never see them again…._

**No.**

He opened his eyes and rubbed them, stopping the tears that were about to start streaming again. He grabbed the spare shirt next to him and quickly changed into it.

_I have to stop thinking like this._

_I will see them again. I've got too much I've left behind to never return._

The trees and greenery were replaced with buildings once the train entered East City. He stood up the second the train pulled into the station. He looked at the photo before tucking it away in his pocket.

The tears that once filled his eyes were replaced with fiery determination.

_I will see them again. No matter what it takes, I will see them again._

_I will put a stop to this corruption in our military._

_The only question is…how?_

He put his glasses in the suitcase before getting off the train. He blinked a few times, his eyes trying to adjust. He would have to look real close at the train schedule to find one heading toward Liore, but he could manage without his glasses for a while.

He had his suitcase in a death grip as he walked through the sea of people. He moved swiftly, determined to get to the counter to find a schedule and get a ticket.

He froze in his tracks when a head of familiar blond hair walked in front of him.

His eyes followed the slight swaying of the long ponytail.

_That…that can't be Ed…he told me he was heading to Dublith…._

He looked around, but didn't see a suit of armor. He set his sights on the blond ponytail, almost grinning to himself.

That man was way too tall to be Ed.

The man stopped and looked around, obviously trying to find his train. Unconsciously, Maes moved closer. He had a golden-blond beard and glasses. There was a glare on them, but it disappeared as he scanned the station.

Even without his own glasses, there was no missing those golden eyes.

_This isn't a coincidence. Ed's the only person I've ever met with gold eyes._

The man's eyebrows rose, finding the train he should be boarding.

Noting which train he was getting on, Maes rushed to the counter and bought the ticket. He practically sprinted to the train.

He boarded the train and scanned through the cars for the blond man. Upon finding him, he took the first seat available in the same car. He couldn't help but peek out into the aisle to get a good view of him.

Based on Ed's description, he hadn't changed much at all.

He leaned back in his seat as the train started to move. He took a deep breath, trying to ignore the pain in his chest. He tried to get as comfortable as he could.

The next stop was all the way in Resembool, after all.


	4. Chapter 4

_He sipped his water, eyeing Roy as he downed his third glass of scotch. He opened his mouth, but his friend beat him to it._

_"I know you've got questions about those two, Hughes," Roy said, setting down his glass._

_He shut his mouth and grinned, setting down his glass as well. He leaned forward, closing the distance between him and the Colonel._

_"Is Ed's brother really just a suit of armor?"_

_"No!" Roy snapped, then he winced. "Sorry, I know you didn't mean it like that. When Ed was eleven, he managed to bind Al's soul to that suit of armor with his own blood. It's some of the most advanced alchemy you'll probably ever see. Honestly, I can't believe he was actually able to do it."_

_His grin widened when he noticed the twinkle in Roy's eyes, the alcohol actually allowing his seemingly uncaring demeanor to slip a bit. He could see something he had never witnessed the Colonel expressing about those boys._

_Pride._

_He chuckled._

_"'Not their father' my ass," he mumbled._

_"What was that?"_

_"Nothing, Roy! Anyway, what happened to—"_

_"I can't tell you."_

_His eyebrows shot up at his friend's response. He couldn't do anything but stare at the man in front of him._

_"Roy, I told you before that I would keep this from the higher-ups."_

_The Colonel pinched the bridge of his nose._

_"I know you wouldn't tell a soul, Maes." The use of his first name definitely told him how serious this matter was. "You know that I trust you, but I still can't tell you. It's not my place."_

_He looked back to his glass of water, brow furrowing and his shoulders tensing. He and Roy had been friends for years. They usually told each other everything…._

_He looked back to Roy when he felt the man's hand on his shoulder._

_"I'm sorry," his friend began. "I really am. I want to tell you. I just told you: I trust you. I would like to think Ed and Al do too, but I don't know for sure. I can't just tell you their secret. That's up to them. I'm sure if you asked, they would probably tell you."_

_The tension in his shoulders released as he sighed, and he couldn't help but feel a bit proud. While it was frustrating that Roy wouldn't give him any answers, he knew Roy was just protecting their secret and didn't want to tell him anything that the Elrics possibly weren't comfortable with sharing._

_"I know that's probably not the answer you were wanting to hear."_

_Roy snapped him out of his thoughts. He managed a small grin._

_"It's all right, Roy," he said. "I understand. I'll try to catch them when they visit Central again."_

_Roy nodded and rubbed his eyes, the exhaustion from the day seeming to catch up with him._

_"You're not in any shape to drive. I haven't had anything to drink. I'll take you home."_

_The two friends stood and left the bar. He had to grab Roy's arm as he stumbled a bit, suddenly glad that he had offered to give his friend a ride home. Inhaling deeply once they escaped the stuffy air from inside the bar, he led Roy toward his car._

_"Maes?"_

_He looked to his friend, the man looking a bit stern, or as stern as he could while being intoxicated._

_"I know you usually refer to us alchemists as freaks. When you're talking about me, that's fine, but I will ask that you don't talk about the Elrics that way. I know you didn't mean any harm in it earlier after our encounter with Scar, but…."_

_He almost staggered at the wave of guilt that washed over him. Then he actually staggered when he found himself supporting nearly all of Roy's weight. How could he have been so inconsiderate?_

_Al was a soul bound to a suit of armor…Ed was missing two limbs…._

_How could he have said that about those two kids?_

_"Don't worry, Roy. I won't ever say that again."_

_Roy's head lolled against him. He rolled his eyes, but it didn't surprise him. He carried his sleeping friend back to the car._

**_*break*_ **

_"You two look like you could use a break!"_

_It had been awhile since he'd seen the Elric brothers. He hadn't seen them since their trip to Resembool to fix Ed's automail. He'd been excited to hear they were in Central again, but his excitement soon morphed into worry when neither of the young alchemists looked up at him when he approached their table in the busy library. His brow furrowed._

_"Ed?"_

_He put a hand on the kid's shoulder, finally gaining Ed's attention._

_"What?" he snapped._

_"Brother, there's no need to be so rude!"_

_Ed shook his head and rubbed his eyes._

_"Right," the kid looked up at him, meeting his eyes. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant Colonel. Was there something you needed?"_

_"How long have you two been here?"_

_"Since the library opened."_

_He stared at the two kids. Glancing at his watch, his eyebrows rose._

_"You've been here for over eight hours," he muttered. "Have you taken any breaks at all?"_

_Ed shook his head, only furthering his concern. He glanced to Al. Even though the younger Elric was physically unable to show it, he could practically feel the worry now emanating from him. Apparently he hadn't realized how long he and his brother had been at the library._

_Roy certainly wasn't kidding when he said those two could get lost in their research._

_"Why don't you both come take a walk with me? I'm sure you both could use the fresh air!"_

_Al looked to Ed._

_"That's not a bad idea. We've been here all day and you've hardly moved at all, brother. Why don't we go with the Lieutenant Colonel?"_

_"But I think we might be on to another lead!" Ed whined._

_Al grabbed the book from his brother._

_"I'll stay here and research then."_

_Ed huffed and got up, muttering something about finding his coat and leaving him alone with Al. He crossed his arms, his brow furrowing._

_"I was hoping you could come, Alphonse."_

_Al chuckled nervously._

_"That's all right! I don't need the fresh air like my brother. Besides, if I didn't stay behind, he probably would have just stayed here until the library closes…."_

_His eyebrows rose when Al trailed off. He stepped closer to the suit of armor and lowered his voice._

_"Is there something else I should know, Alphonse?"_

_Al shifted, a slight clank echoing around them as he did so._

_"It's just…could you please make sure my brother eats something? He hasn't eaten since we got here. I didn't realize we'd been here that long. Sometimes when he's researching, he forgets things like that. I would love to go, but he won't if…."_

_The younger Elric's voice was barely audible. He quickly glanced around, looking for any sign of Ed._

_"Don't worry," he assured, kneeling down next to the suit of armor and putting a hand on his shoulder. "I promise I'll make sure he eats something."_

_He wasn't quite sure how, but he could see the relief flooding throughout Al._

_"Thank you."_

_"I guess we should go," Ed grumbled as he put on his signature red coat._

_"Great!" he straightened up and grabbed Ed's arm._

_He could feel the annoyance radiating off the young alchemist as he dragged him out of the library, but he wasn't taking any chances in the case Ed changed his mind. He forced his usual grin to stay plastered on his face. He tried his best to ignore the disappointment lingering in the back of his mind._

_He'd really hoped Al would come with them; however, he did understand Al's concern for his brother. Maybe another time…._

_"Where are we going?" Ed asked once they exited the library._

_He glanced at his watch, then down the street. He pointed to a diner at the corner of the closest intersection._

_"How about there?" he offered. "It's almost time for dinner anyway, and you have to be starving."_

_As if on cue, Ed's stomach growled. He smirked when Ed couldn't meet his gaze, knowing the teen couldn't deny it. The two crossed the street and entered the diner. They sat down in one of the various empty booths and looked over the menu._

_"Do they have any places like this in Resembool?" he asked._

_Ed shook his head._

_"Not really. It's a really small town. Al and I just visited for the first time in about three years to get my automail fixed, and almost nothing has changed."_

_His eyes widened._

_"I'm surprised you don't go back home more often."_

_Ed shrugged, but was slightly tense._

_"We don't have a reason to. My mechanic's there. The only time I ever need to go is if something's wrong with my automail. My mechanic and her grandma are really the only family we have left."_

_The waitress came back and took their orders. He glanced around. There was only one other couple in the diner. If he wanted to get information, now would be his best chance before the place filled up. He opened his mouth, but Ed beat him to it._

_"You're curious about Al, aren't you?"_

_He couldn't help but grin. Since the two seemed like they didn't get along very well, it was easy to forget that Ed was just like Roy in some ways._

_"I was curious about you both actually," he answered._

_"Didn't Mustang already tell you?"_

_He simply shook his head._

_"I asked him," he explained, leaning back in the booth. "He refused to tell me anything. He wasn't sure if you and Al trusted me enough to tell me yourselves, so he kept quiet on the matter."_

_The surprise that crossed Ed's face made him chuckle a bit. Soon enough, Ed was laughing too and shaking his head._

_"The Colonel can certainly be a bastard at times," the teen mumbled, "but I've never had any doubts about trusting him."_

_His grin split into a wide smile and he couldn't help but feel a bit of pride in his best friend. Ed leaned back in the booth as well and took a deep breath._

_"Al and I have been practicing alchemy since we were kids. It was very easy for us to understand and pick up. We had an entire library full of alchemy books for us to study."_

_"I thought you said Resembool was a small town? If it's as small as you say, I can't imagine there being a lot of books on alchemy."_

_Anger flashed in the kid's golden eyes._

_"All those books were Hohenheim's." Ed obviously noticed his puzzled expression. "Hohenheim is Al and I's bastard of a father."_

_He simply nodded, not daring to ask any more questions about the man. It was certainly a touchy subject for the young alchemist. Despite this, Ed continued._

_"He left when I was five-years-old and never came back. Not even when our mom got sick. Al and I tried everything we could to get a hold of him, but he didn't return. It wasn't long before our mom passed away. The bastard didn't even show up to her funeral."_

_He was surprised when he couldn't actually hear his heart cracking and shattering. He definitely felt it. His chest ached when he saw the hurt embedded in Ed's eyes._

_The kid probably didn't even know it was there._

_"What did you boys do then?" he asked next._

_"Al and I decided to bring our mom back."_

_Ed's voice was so quiet he wasn't sure he heard correctly. His blood ran cold. He barely even registered the waitress bringing their food to their table. He may not have been an alchemist, but he'd talked to Roy enough to know what that meant._

_"You and Al tried…."_

_Ed nodded, shame written all over his face. He stared down at his lap._

_"After our mom died, we met an alchemist passing through Resembool and trained under her for a while in Dublith. When we returned home, we continued studying Hohenheim's books until we thought we could perform the transmutation." He fiddled with his glove, pulling the cloth back up to cover his automail hand. "We failed and we both paid for it."_

_He had to stop himself from shivering. From what he understood, even the most advanced alchemists wouldn't even dare to attempt human transmutation. Roy hardly ever mentioned it at all. He wasn't sure if his friend had even researched at all into the subject. Yet here he was, sitting before a boy who saw it as his only option to make his family whole again._

_"Ed…."_

_He didn't even know what to say. He tried not to let his sympathy show, but Ed's next words were an indication of his failure._

_"Please don't look at me like that," Ed said, rubbing a hand over his face. "Al's the one who's truly suffering for it. He lost everything. I had only lost my leg until I bound his soul to the armor. That's when I lost my arm. He can't sleep. He can't eat. He can't feel anything. That's why I have to find a way to get his body back."_

_Realization dawned on him instantly. Ed was so reluctant to stop his research because he felt that it was his sole responsibility to restore his brother's body. A small grin quirked at the corners of his mouth._

_Al was very lucky to have an older brother like Ed._

_"I know you will," he said. "However, you're not going to be able to do that unless you take proper care of yourself. I know Al is probably thinking the same thing."_

_Ed sighed and picked up the fork, half-heartedly stabbing at his food. It seemed as if the young alchemist wasn't listening to a word he said._

_"Edward." The kid looked up and met his gaze. "I know you don't exactly see Roy's team and I as family, but I want you to know that we all have your back like one. Don't think for a second that anything you boys have done will make us support you any less or make us any less proud of you. You boys have stayed so strong throughout your journey, and I know you boys will finish even stronger than you started."_

_Ed looked back down at his plate, but not before he got a glimpse of the pain receding from the young alchemist's eyes and the grateful smile that spread across his face._

_"Thank you."_

Maes forced himself to keep staring out the window and not at the man sitting just a few rows ahead of him. He didn't want the man to notice him.

Not yet.

He closed his eyes, thinking back to that afternoon at the diner with Ed. Picturing the kid's face after they had that talk helped quell the boiling rage that threatened to consume him, but it didn't help much. There was a part of him that wanted to throttle Hohenheim for abandoning his family that grew slightly more dominant with every passing second.

_How could he willingly leave his children?_

Hohenheim probably didn't even know Ed and Al were alchemists, just like him. Hell, they were two of the most gifted alchemists the Amestrian military has ever seen. Any father would be proud to have kids like Ed and Al.

A fond smile stretched across his face when he thought of the two brothers.

_How could anyone willingly leave those two boys?_

His brow furrowed a bit, guilt slowly seeping its way throughout his mind.

_Wait…haven't I done the exact same thing? I've abandoned my family. I left behind my own wife and daughter. I left behind my best friend…and Edward and Alphonse. How does that make me any better than Hohenheim?_

His eyes suddenly snapped open.

_I left Gracia and Elicia to protect them. Did…did Hohenheim have a reason for leaving Ed and Al?_

His anger didn't completely vanish, but it started to subside. He probably shouldn't have jumped to the worst possible conclusion, but he couldn't help it when he recalled the hurt in Ed's eyes when he talked about his father.

Ed and Al never got an explanation for why he left. They probably thought they would never see him again when he didn't even show up to their mom's funeral.

Maes knew he had to find out why.

He closed his eyes again, but this time he must have dozed off because he woke up to the feeling of the train slowing to a stop. Quickly gathering his things, he stood up and watched as Hohenheim got off the train. He instantly followed suit. He had to be fast or he'd lose sight of him.

What he didn't expect was to actually bump into the man on the platform, causing both him and Hohenheim to crash to the ground.

"I'm so sorry!" he apologized.

He got up and reached out a hand to the fallen man. Much to his surprise, Hohenheim just chuckled and waved his hand away.

"That's quite all right!" He got up and faced the former Lieutenant Colonel, noticing the size of the man's suitcase. "I take it you're new to town?"

Maes was at a loss. Perhaps it was the preconceived image he had of Hohenheim, but he didn't expect such an interaction to be so…normal. He almost forgot to give the man an answer.

"Y-yeah. You could say that."

Hohenheim sighed and stared out at the small town before them, the wind whipping his long coat as it blew all around them.

"So are you just visiting?" Maes asked.

Hohenheim slightly grinned.

"I know you're new, so you haven't met Trisha yet. You will soon enough if you're planning on staying a while. Everyone knows everyone in this sort of town. I came back to spend some time with her and our sons. I know I haven't been gone long, but it feels like an eternity since I've seen my family." He stepped off the platform and headed down one of the few roads just ahead. He turned back. "My apologies, but I haven't even asked for your name."

"Maes," he said with no hesitation.

There probably should have been. He shouldn't have even used his real name. Although, a town this small and this far away from Central wouldn't have even gotten word of his murder. He supposed it didn't matter anymore.

"Well, Maes, I hope to see you around."

With that, he waved and made his way down the road.

Maes couldn't help but notice as the few people out on the streets stopped and stared at Hohenheim as he walked by. He saw farmers completely halting their work when they were aware of his presence. Everyone gazed at the man as he went on his way, presumably to his own home.

Maes stayed frozen in place.

_He doesn't know that Trisha's dead. He honestly doesn't know anything about what happened to his family in the last ten years._

A part of him already knew that, but it was completely different actually seeing how oblivious the man really was.

_It's been ten years. How could he think that's nothing has changed?_

That wasn't the most unsettling thought.

_Does he really not believe ten years is a long time to go without seeing his family?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe I forgot to mention it in previous chapters, but I have to thank the incredible YAJJ for her help with this fic! She's awesome and has some awesome Parental!Roy content, so go check it out!
> 
> I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

Maes dropped his suitcase and plopped down on the bed the second he entered the room. The innkeeper was quite kind. He didn't realize how tired he must have looked until the elderly man quickly checked him in and suggested he get some rest.

He chuckled to himself.

It seemed as if he'd done nothing but sleep lately. The dull ache in his chest reminded him why. As much as he hated to admit it, Knox might have been right. Three days was not enough time to get over a bullet wound to the chest.

_Maybe I should rest for a while like he suggested…._

He shook his head at the thought.

_I found Hohenheim. I need to see him again._

He sat up with a groan. Rummaging through his suitcase, he pulled out the painkillers Knox had been kind enough to spare him. He automatically popped two pills into his mouth, nearly choking and barely swallowing them down when he realized how dry his mouth was.

Now that he thought about it, the last time he had any water was at the doctor's house. He dug further into the suitcase, finding a canteen at the bottom.

_That man really did think of everything. I don't know how I'm ever going to repay him someday…._

He shook his head again.

_I'll have to think about that later. I need to take things one step at a time._

He walked over to the bathroom, filling up the canteen at the sink. He almost guzzled the entire thing once he felt the cool water soothe his dry throat. Quickly refilling his canteen and grabbing his wallet, he set out of the inn.

Ed wasn't kidding when he said Resembool was a small town. Despite the warning, he couldn't quite grasp the concept until he practically walked through the entire town in just over an hour, even with pausing to catch his breath more often than he wanted to.

After seeing his house wasn't there anymore, Maes had been certain Hohenheim would've returned to the town, but he didn't see a sign of the man anywhere. He huffed as he stopped again, hunched over slightly and his chest heaving a little more than it normally would.

"Are you all right, sir?"

He glanced up. A young woman, no older than her early twenties, walked out of a nearby shop. He smiled.

If there was one thing he'd learned from walking around Resembool, it was that people were much kinder out here in a small town. Despite not knowing him, everyone he saw on his trek through the streets waved or gave him a smile. It was definitely a nice change of pace from a busy city like Central.

"I'm fine," he assured.

"Are you looking for something?" she asked next.

He debated not saying anything, but he didn't want to waste any more time.

"I'm actually looking for Hohenheim…."

He trailed off when he noticed the glare in the woman's eyes. She crossed her arms and turned back toward the shop.

"Last anyone saw of that bastard, he was heading to Pinako Rockbell's residence." She pointed to a path starting at the far north end of the town, near the train station. "That was just over an hour ago. If he has any respect at all, he'll be heading just east of her house." She paused, looking at Maes over her shoulder. "I don't know why you need to find him. I can't believe the man had the courage to show his face in this town again. If you see him, can you please tell him that he's no longer welcome here?"

Before the former Lieutenant Colonel could utter another word, the woman had already retreated back into her little shop. He sighed and scratched the back of his head.

_"I know you're new, so you haven't met Trisha yet. You will soon enough if you're planning on staying a while. Everyone knows everyone in this sort of town."_

Hohenheim's words echoed in his mind.

That was definitely true, and it certainly wasn't working in the man's favor. Even such a young woman remembered him. Or rather, she probably remembered him not coming back for Trisha's funeral. Between his interaction with her and recalling the way everyone glared at Hohenheim when he walked by, it was no secret the people of Resembool despised the man.

He didn't blame them.

_But I still don't know why he left._

He had to keep reminding himself of that. While it was easy to make assumptions, he knew he shouldn't until he actually talked to the man.

_I will see Ed and Al again, and even if Hohenheim never does, I need to have answers for them._

He headed back toward the train station and made his way down the pathway. Even though it was at a slower pace than he preferred, he could eventually see a house coming up in the distance. He got a little closer, at least enough to make out the sign.

**AUTOMAIL**

His eyes widened.

_"Last anyone saw of that bastard, he was heading to Pinako Rockbell's residence."_

A black and white dog came into view on the porch and started barking. He instantly stepped off the path and continued heading northeast, away from the house.

_No wonder that last name sounded so familiar. That must be Rockbell Automail._

He would love to meet Winry's grandmother. He'd be honored to meet the woman who raised Winry and gladly took in Ed and Al, but he couldn't risk it. While Winry was in Dublith with the Elric brothers, she would eventually return, and he couldn't risk meeting anyone so close to her.

_Maes Hughes is dead._

Not only for his safety, but for her own as well, that fact had to remain. If anyone in the military got the news that he was alive….

He stopped when he spotted a small plot of land. Glancing back toward the house, he noticed the young woman's directions were quite accurate. He paused when he reached the gate. It didn't take long to spot Hohenheim. He was sitting on the ground, staring at a headstone at the far end of the cemetery. Maes didn't even have to question whose it was. That sight almost made him turn around and leave.

_He's discovered his children are gone. The woman he loved is dead. His entire life that he'd planned to come back to is just..gone._

However, Maes didn't move. He looked on at the grieving man. The desire to leave him be was slowly being overcome by his need to get answers for Ed and Al. He couldn't think of a reason for Hohenheim to stay in Resembool any longer, especially with how hostile the residents were towards him.

This really could be his last chance to see the man again.

As quietly as he could, he opened the gate and entered the cemetery. He passed by several graves as he made his way toward Hohenheim, but two caught his attention just before he reached him. He stopped and stared at the two headstones.

_Yuriy and Sarah Rockbell…those were the doctors murdered in Ishval…they were Winry's parents. How did I not realize that?_

"Did you know the Rockbells, Maes?"

Maes jumped at the voice. He glanced up, noticing Hohenheim was still staring at Trisha's grave. Despite the man not even looking at him, he could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks and he turned his gaze to the ground.

"I…well…not personally."

Hohenheim gave no indication that he heard the response. The two men were quiet, only the wind rustling around them making any sound.

"I knew them," Hohenheim said, breaking the silence. "I'm good friends with their mother. They grew up to be wonderful people. It's a shame you didn't get to know them."

Maes furrowed his brow.

_He's good friends with their mother…he saw them grow up…how old is he?_

He shook his head. He would worry about that later.

"So I've heard." He took a step forward. "I've met their daughter. Winry is a lovely girl." He took a deep breath. "I also know her two friends, Edward and Alphonse."

He could see Hohenheim tense.

"I see."

Maes shifted as he continued.

"They're good kids…and incredibly gifted alchemists. I'm sure you've heard it by now, but Edward is the youngest state alchemist in the history of the Amestrian military. You must be very proud of—"

"They made a mistake." Hohenheim finally looked over his shoulder at him, the sunlight glaring off his glasses. "They made a huge mistake and they ran away from it. Why should I be proud of them for that?"

Maes's jaw dropped.

_Did he just…how could he say that about his sons?_

He couldn't even think straight as Hohenheim stood and turned to fully face him.

"My sons did something they shouldn't have. They burned down my home to get rid of the evidence. I don't know what possessed them to do such a thing."

Whether Hohenheim was referring to the attempted human transmutation or burning the house down, Maes didn't know. He didn't care. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the man before him.

"Have you considered the fact that none of this would've happened if you had never left them?"

He didn't bother hiding the bitterness in his tone.

_He has some nerve speaking about Ed and Al like that. He doesn't understand what those boys went through. He doesn't understand what great lengths their going to make up for their mistake._

_Any man in his right mind would be proud to be their father._

Hohenheim walked closer to him, the glare disappearing from his glasses. Much to his surprise, Hohenheim wasn't looking him in the eyes. Instead, he was staring down at his chest. He followed the man's gaze, noticing the red stain blossoming on his shirt.

Without a word Hohenheim placed a hand on his chest. There was a red flash, and Maes' eyes widened.

_There was that same red flash when that creature transformed after it shot me. He…is he one of them?_

His blood ran cold and his breath hitched in his throat. He instinctively shut his eyes. The hand on his chest moved to his shoulder as Hohenheim moved around him.

"I can see you care a lot for Edward and Alphonse, Maes. You seem like a good man, so I'm going to advise you to leave this country as soon as you can."

Maes hesitantly opened his eyes and looked down at his chest. The blood stain was still there, but there wasn't any discomfort as he breathed. With trembling fingers, he undid the buttons on his shirt.

The wound just above his heart had vanished.

He felt along his chest, as if this was all a trick.

_What the hell did he just do to me?_

He turned around, noticing Hohenheim was walking toward the gate.

"Wait!" he called out.

_If he was one of them, he would have just killed me. He had the opportunity when we got off the train. He's had plenty of time to do it now. There aren't even any witnesses here. He can't possibly be one of them._

"Hohenheim!"

_He even warned me to get out of the country. That can't just be a coincidence._

He ran toward the gate, but the man had already passed through and was heading to the Rockbell's house.

_He has to know. It might be a risk, but…._

"I know about the transmutation circle!"

That made Hohenheim stop in his tracks. He turned back toward Maes. The former Lieutenant Colonel stopped at the gate, just a few feet away from the man.

"I know about nation-wide transmutation circle. I know that our military's behind it."

Maes tensed when Hohenheim didn't say anything, beginning to wonder if he'd made a grave mistake. He urged himself to remain calm and breathe.

_If he was going to kill me, he would have done it already._

"Then you understand why I advised you to flee the country."

"I can't."

Hohenheim raised his eyebrows at that. Maes unconsciously touched his chest where the bullet wound previously resided.

"I was nearly killed when I figured it out. No one in the military knows I'm still alive. I have a wife and daughter that I had to leave behind. I left behind friends I've come to consider my family. There's an entire nation of people that could fall victim to this transmutation circle if it's complete. I can't just run away."

"I respect you for that, Maes," Hohenheim sighed, "but I'm afraid there isn't much a man like you can do. If I were in your position, I would find your wife and daughter and get the hell out of Amestris."

Maes blinked at the man before him, barely registering his advice.

_There isn't much a man like me can do._

"What about you?" he asked. Hohenheim was visibly taken aback by the question, but Maes continued anyway. "You said there wasn't much a man like me could do, but what about you? Is this why you left?"

A slight smirk formed on Hohenheim's face.

"You're quite perceptive."

The blunt statement of the fact almost made Maes chuckle. He wouldn't have been assigned to Investigations if he wasn't. It would have made him laugh if he hadn't nearly gotten killed for it.

"The transmutation circle isn't finished," Hohenheim continued, "but it won't remain that way for much longer. He has to complete it soon. Considering the higher-ups in the military are involved, no one can stop them—"

"Who's he?" Maes asked. "Fuhrer Bradley? Is he the one behind this?"

Maes hadn't intended to interrupt the man, but his curiosity got the best of him. He hadn't gotten that far in his investigation before he'd been ambushed in the library. One of his first suspects for the man orchestrating this had been Bradley, himself. His eyebrows rose when Hohenheim shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. Your Fuhrer is one of his…children for a lack of a better word. Unfortunately, he's someone I've known for quite some time." Hohenheim shifted, obviously not wanting to discuss that matter any further. "No matter what, the circle will be complete, but it's possible to counter the transmutation."

"Alchemy…." Maes whispered to himself, raising a hand to his chin.

His eyes widened. Hohenheim stepped closer to the former Lieutenant Colonel.

"What?"

"Alchemy!" Maes practically yelled. "You're an alchemist. You're using alchemy to counter the transmutation circle. The things that attacked me…they…I couldn't do anything to stop them. I threw my knife through one of their skulls, and that didn't kill her. I know there could be more of them. Even if the circle doesn't work, those things are still lurking within our military. Would alchemy give us a fighting chance?"

Hohenheim crossed his arms, an eyebrow quirking upward.

"I…I honestly don't know. As far as I'm concerned, none of his children have been destroyed. However, none of them have ever been able to perform alchemy. I suppose it would be the best chance you have."

"So there's a possibility we can destroy them?" Maes took a couple steps closer to Hohenheim, his voice growing louder and hope surging through his veins. "There's a chance of completely putting a stop to this?"

Hohenheim seemed reluctant to answer, but finally relented.

"I suppose there is, but—"

"Teach me."

Hohenheim actually staggered a few steps backwards, but Maes followed him and approached even closer.

"Teach me alchemy. I want to help you. I have to help put a stop to this. I have to protect my family. Please teach me."

Hohenheim's lips set into a grim line.

"Please. Hohenheim, teach me so I can help you."

Hohenheim was silent. It was completely silent except for the wind rustling and whipping around the man's coat. Maes could hear his heart pounding in his chest, and he was almost sure the man before him could hear it too.

"I'm sorry, Maes. I said it earlier, you seem like a good man. Go get your family and get the hell out of Amestris."

Maes' heart sunk as he watched the man turn around and walk away. He stood at the gate of the cemetery. He didn't realize for how long until there was a nip in the wind and the sky started glowing orange. He trudged back toward the inn, the only upside being he no longer had to stop to catch his breath.

***break***

Maes lied in bed and stared at the ceiling, replaying his conversation with Hohenheim over and over again in his mind.

_I still don't know who's actually behind this. Whoever he is, he has "children" as Hohenheim said. Fuhrer Bradley's one of them for sure. I'm assuming those things that attacked me are as well. Maybe I should go back to Central and get in contact with Roy. He's an alchemist. If alchemy is the only shot we have of even standing a chance…._

_I can't._

_I can't put him in that kind of danger. I can't risk anyone seeing me._

_There has to be something I can do…._

A knock on the door jolted him out of his thoughts. He glanced at the clock.

Midnight.

The innkeeper stopped by to check up on him just a few hours ago. He couldn't think of a reason for the man to return so soon. He slid a hand under his pillow, grateful Knox had thought to pack him a gun.

Carefully, he tip-toed to the door and glanced through the peephole. His jaw dropped. He set the gun down and opened the door. Dumbfounded, he stared at the man in the door frame.

"Hohenheim?"

"If you want to come with me, I'm leaving now."

Maes sprang into action, throwing everything he had into the suitcase. He didn't even bother questioning the man as to what made him change his mind. He dropped his key at the innkeeper's desk.

Without another word, he and Hohenheim made their way out and through the dark town of Resembool.


	6. Chapter 6

_"Come on, Al!" he yelled when he heard the gunshot._

_Not bothering to check if his brother was behind him, he ran through the dark streets of Central toward the sound. He clapped and formed a blade with his automail arm, preparing for whatever he might find. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a red flash that illuminated the dark street for the briefest moment. A lean figure with long black hair snuck out of a phone booth. His eyes widened. Adrenaline surged through his veins and he ran as fast as his legs would carry him._

_He and Al had to get some answers._

_"That's the guy from the fifth laboratory! We can't let him get away!" He looked behind him when he didn't hear the clanking of Al's footsteps behind him. "Al?"_

_He slowed down to a stop and completely spun around, but found no sign of his brother. He took a step forward and his brow furrowed at the splash that followed. Looking down, he staggered back instantly when he saw the red pool surrounding his feet. His eyes wandered to the phone booth just a few feet away. He felt the urge to vomit at the amount of blood pouring out of the booth. Against his will, his feet brought him forward and he peeked inside._

_"Ed?" a strained voice called._

_His heart sunk and his blood froze at the sight that awaited him. Maes Hughes was slumped over next to the phone. He looked up at him, mouth opening as if to speak again, but a cry of agony was the only thing to come out._

_"Hey!" he dropped to his knees next to Hughes, ignoring how his leather pants were now soaking wet with blood._

_He propped Hughes up against the back of the phone booth, instantly spotting the huge red stain blossoming on the left side of his chest. He automatically took off his jacket and added pressure to the wound, feeling the rapid rise and fall of the Lieutenant Colonel's chest._

_"It's going to be okay," he breathed. "Hughes, everything will be okay."_

_He swore he saw a small smile on the man's face before he hung his head. The chest underneath his hands fell, but didn't rise again._

_"Hughes?"_

_He looked over to the dangling phone. He needed to call someone. Mustang would know what to do. He just needed to reach for the phone, but he couldn't move. The puddle of blood around him only got bigger and bigger. He looked back to the Lieutenant Colonel, as if that would make him start breathing again._

_But the man remained still._

_"Hughes!"_

Ed gasped and shot upright in his bed. He drew his knees up to his chest and closed his eyes, forcing himself to take a few deep breaths. He opened his eyes again and recognized Sig and Izumi's guest room.

"Brother?" He looked to see Al leaning against the wall, a book set down in his lap. "Is everything all right?"

Ed ran a hand through his hair, finding it to be drenched in sweat.

"Yeah, Al," he said, barely able to control the tremor in his voice. "Everything's fine. It was just a bad dream." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. "I'm just going to get some water."

Not even bothering another glance at his brother and not wanting to be bombarded with any more questions, Ed left the guest room and quietly made his way to the kitchen. He leaned against the counter and took another deep breath.

"It was just a dream," he whispered to himself. "It was just a dream."

He fumbled around for a glass and turned on the faucet. As he was filling up the glass, his eyes wandered over to the phone.

_Hughes is fine. He has to be, right?_

His gaze wouldn't leave the phone.

_Maybe I should just give him a call…._

The water overflowing from the glass and onto his hand brought him out of his thoughts. He turned off the faucet and walked over to the phone. He started dialing the number when he glanced over to the clock.

_It's almost three in the morning. I don't want to risk waking up Gracia or Elicia…._

He sighed and hung up the phone. Taking his glass of water, he walked back to the guest room. He chuckled to himself and shook his head.

_It was just a dream. Hughes is fine. Hell, if I had called, he'd probably just start babbling about his daughter until I hung up the phone._

***break***

Riza followed Sheska down to the document storage room in silence. Promptly thanking the girl after she unlocked the door, the First Lieutenant found her commanding officer sleeping on the ground with a book covering most of his face. Sheska quickly left, leaving the two alone. Riza wasted no time in approaching Roy and yanking the book off his face.

"Sir," she said, her voice a bit more stern than usual, "you need to wake up. Now."

Her voice woke her superior up instantly. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't suppress a yawn as he sat up. Riza gripped his arm and pulled him to his feet. The two made their way through the currently empty halls of Central Command, Roy stumbling a couple times as he tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

The First Lieutenant shut the door when the two entered Roy's office. The Colonel automatically walked over to his desk until Riza gripped his arm and steered him toward one of the couches.

"What are you—" he started to ask, but was quickly interrupted.

"Were you there all night, sir?"

Roy tensed at the coldness in her tone, but eventually nodded. They both sat down on the couch. Riza pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Colonel, you have to be more careful," she chastised. "You're lucky Sheska was the one to find you in there. She won't find it suspicious, but anyone else that could have found you would have. Considering someone in the military could very well be behind his murder, you can't bring unnecessary attention to yourself if you're so determined to investigate it."

The Colonel leaned back on the couch. His eyes fluttered a bit and he fought back another yawn.

"I'll be more careful next time, Lieutenant."

Roy rubbed his eyes, having to fight to keep them open. Riza's mouth set into a grim line.

"It's not just about being more careful, sir." She placed a firm, yet gentle hand on his shoulder. "I know you want to find who killed him. So do I, but you have to take better care of yourself. When was the last time you ate a proper meal?"

Roy's hands froze as he tried to rack his brain for an answer.

"I…I don't remember."

The hand on his shoulder tightened, causing him to shift his gaze back to his Lieutenant. Her face had softened a bit and nothing could hide the concern gleaming in her eyes.

"You know you can't keep doing this to yourself. You need to eat. You need to sleep. If you don't start taking better care of yourself, you're going to make careless mistakes we can't afford just from your shear exhaustion." She sighed when she saw Roy tense. "He wouldn't want you to sacrifice your health like this. You won't be able to catch his killer if you keep this up."

"I know, Lieutenant, but…." The Colonel looked like he was about to protest, but he knew Riza was completely right. He hung his head. "I know."

Riza walked over to her desk and returned with a blanket. Where she managed to stash it, her superior couldn't begin to guess.

"You still have an hour before the others come in. Why don't you try to get some sleep?"

Roy chuckled and shook his head.

"Shouldn't you be telling me to get back to work?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Despite his teasing, he didn't bother arguing with the suggestion. He gratefully took the blanket and stretched out on the couch. His subordinate simply smirked at him.

"With all due respect, sir, it's already hard enough to get you do focus on your paperwork as it is. I'd rather not try when you're running on practically no sleep."

Roy rolled his eyes before spreading the blanket over himself. He rolled over to face the back of the couch and block out as much of the light in the office as he could. It didn't take him long to realize his Lieutenant definitely made the right call. Only a couple of minutes passed before he found himself drifting off to sleep; however, he didn't miss hearing the footsteps coming closer to the couch and stopping right by his head. A gentle hand ran through his hair.

"We'll find who killed him, sir. I promise."

***break***

Maes groaned when he finally started to wake up. A shiver crept up his aching spine.

_Why is it so cold? And why is my back so sore?_

He opened his eyes and stretched his arms over his head, his back cracking as it arched a bit. It was dark except for a dim orange flicker outlining someone crouched in front of its source. Rubbing the back of his neck, he realized he'd propped himself up against a log and must have dozed off.

"You might want these." Hohenheim stood before him with a hand extended out to him, holding his glasses. "You took them off right before you fell asleep. I didn't think you'd want to risk breaking them."

"Thanks," he muttered before accepting his glasses.

Hohenheim turned back to the fire and smothered it. Maes took that as a signal they needed to get moving. He hauled himself off the ground and dusted himself off. After picking up their suitcases, the two left their makeshift camp with only the wood and last of the smoke rising indicating anyone had been there at all.

A pinkish-orange hue erupted on the horizon, slowly growing brighter with every passing second the two carried on. Maes could almost physically feel his spirits soaring as the sun continued to rise.

_It's a new day. I don't have a plan, but I finally have hope. Hohenheim understands what's going on in our military. He's giving me a chance to help save this country._

He couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face.

_Gracia and Elicia…Roy…Edward and Alphonse…I might actually be able to see them again._

As much as he'd been telling himself to hold on to the thought of returning to his family, it didn't seem feasible. He didn't even know where to begin ending the corruption in the military or destroying the nation-wide transmutation circle.

But now, for the first time since waking up in the morgue, he had hope.

"We've got another couple days on foot, but if we keep up this pace, we should be reaching the next town just after sundown. We can rest there for the night."

Hohenheim's voice brought him out of his thoughts. He nodded, trying not to make the surprise apparent on his face. The man had been silent during most of their journey until he suggested they stop and rest for a couple of hours.

"Where exactly are we going?" Maes asked.

He knew they were heading south, but he'd been hesitant to break the silence. Ever since their discussion at the graveyard, Hohenheim seemed reluctant to talk. Maes didn't blame him at all.

"To the edge of the desert, just before it meets the border of Aerugo." The man sighed when Maes raised his eyebrows. "I know all too well of the tension at the southern border, but we'll be safe where we're going. We won't be there for long, anyway."

Maes nodded, but he couldn't help but wonder what the two would actually do when they reached their destination.

Or where they would go after that.

"If you're still wanting to learn alchemy," Hohenheim continued, "we can start when we stop for the night. I don't have my library anymore, but I do have several of my notebooks with me. I'm sure you're already aware, but alchemy isn't easy to pick up. It will be even more difficult since we'll be travelling and you won't have many opportunities to sit down and study. Do you think you're still up for it?"

"Yes," Maes answered with absolutely no hesitation.

He figured learning alchemy wouldn't be easy. He recalled Roy telling him about how much he had to study and train, but he didn't have many options.

"Have you ever been interested in alchemy before now?" Hohenheim asked.

Maes grinned. At least the man was open to holding a conversation now. He shook his head.

"I can't say I was. Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to join the military, but I was never interested in becoming a state alchemist." His grin widened into a smile. "A good friend of mine is an alchemist though. Back in our academy days, he would hole himself up in his room studying if we weren't training. Sometimes he would try to explain it to me, but I never thought I would need it. I'm starting to wish I paid more attention…."

He trailed off and scratched the back of his head. He risked a glance at Hohenheim, wondering if the man would be frustrated that he had practically no background in alchemy. While the man didn't smile, he seemed amused.

"I'm sure you didn't think you had a reason to, especially if that wasn't the path you wanted to take at the time."

The two were quiet once again as they continued walking, but it wasn't as tense as it was the previous night when they began their trek. Despite feeling a little bit more comfortable around Hohenheim, Maes couldn't get himself to break the silence.

_I still have so many questions. I don't even understand what he's doing about the nation-wide transmutation circle. How does he know who's behind it? How did they infiltrate our military? How long has he known about this?_

_Why did he wait so long to come back to his family?_

Maes knew he could drown in all of the questions flooding his mind, but he still refrained from breaking the silence. He knew Hohenheim had answers, but he also knew the man wouldn't talk about it until he was ready. While the former Lieutenant Colonel would normally press for them now, he decided not to worry about it for the time being.

Their journey had just begun after all.


	7. Chapter 7

Maes dropped his suitcase and plopped down on the bed the second he and Hohenheim entered their room. The man had been right. The two reached a small town just as the sun started setting. He couldn't help but be amused when the innkeeper was surprised to see he had two guests.

_"It's been a while since we've had any visitors to our humble town! What brings you two by?"_

Maes wasn't even aware towns this small even existed. The inn—if this could even be classified as such—only had a couple of rooms, the only other occupied room belonging to the innkeeper himself.

He sighed and let his eyes droop shut, his limbs weighed down from the exhaustion of the day's travels. He heard the other bed in the room creak. Only a moment passed before his eyes shot back open and he bolted upright, ignoring his sore body's protests.

"So where do we start?" he asked.

Much to his surprise, Hohenheim chuckled. The man hadn't said much aside from their conversation earlier that morning. He certainly didn't expect to elicit a laugh out of him. Hohenheim set down his suitcase and began rummaging through its contents.

"If you want to get some rest first, we could start—"

"No."

Hohenheim turned to look at the former military officer with eyebrows raised; however, he didn't dare question his new companion.

"All right," he said, pulling out a notebook.

He handed it to Maes, who instantly flipped open the cover. His eyebrows shot up when he saw the contents inside. He thumbed through the pages of the notebook only to find similar entries. He turned back to the first page.

_Wood: 50% carbon, 42% oxygen, 6% hydrogen, 1% nitrogen, 1% other elements_

_Wrought Iron: 99.53% iron, 0.07% carbon, 0.04% sulfur, 0.14% silicon, 0.08% phosphorous, 0.14% manganese_

"You said your friend was an alchemist, so I'm assuming you've at least heard the concept of equivalent exchange?" Maes nodded. "Are you familiar with the two laws this concept must follow?"

"The Law of Conservation of Mass," the former Lieutenant Colonel began, "says that energy and mass can neither be created nor destroyed. Deconstructing an object will result in parts that still equal the mass of the original object. The Law of Natural Providence says that an object can only be transmuted into another object with the same basic makeup and properties."

Maes' eyes widened.

_How the hell did I know that?_

He thought back to banging on Roy's door during their academy days, refusing to leave until he at least seen his friend. He thought back to all the times he and Roy sat in the same room, him trying to study for their exams while Roy was buried in his alchemy books. He grinned when he remembered Roy trying to teach him whatever he'd learned those days.

_Maybe I picked up on more than I thought I did._

Hohenheim sat down on the bed opposite of him, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his legs. His shoulders sagged and his face softened a bit.

_He's probably relieved he doesn't have to start at square one. I can't say I blame him._

"You're right. To perform a successful transmutation, you have to understand the components of what you're transmuting, and I can't stress that enough. Attempting to reconstruct an object with elements that aren't originally present bypasses the concept of equivalent exchange and will result in a rebound."

"That doesn't just apply to human transmutation?" Maes blurted out.

He nearly covered his mouth, but it was too late and wouldn't have done him any good.

_He just found out his sons committed the taboo a few days ago. He hasn't even seen the consequences of their actions. I shouldn't have said anything._

Hohenheim tensed, but answered him after taking a deep breath.

"A rebound can occur after any transmutation, albeit the consequences aren't usually as permanent as they are for human transmutation. When you try to create more out of what you're given, you unbalance the alchemical forces and can no longer control them." He nodded toward the notebook in Maes' hands. "I've compiled a list of common materials and their compositions. I'm not going to show you how to even draw a circle until you've studied that list."

Maes tightened his grip around the notebook. It seemed so mundane, but he understood Hohenheim's concerns. He nodded and positioned himself against the headboard, drawing his knees up toward his chest and resting the notebook on his legs. He opened the book back to the first page.

_Wood: 50% carbon, 42% oxygen, 6% hydrogen, 1% nitrogen, 1% other elements_

_Wrought Iron: 99.53% iron, 0.07% carbon, 0.04% sulfur, 0.14% silicon, 0.08% phosphorous, 0.14% manganese_

_Low Carbon Steel: 99.55% iron, 0.05% carbon, 0.4% manganese_

***the next morning***

"Maes, you need to get up."

The former Lieutenant Colonel instantly opened his eyes only to have his sight blocked by the notebook resting on his face. He blinked before removing it and sitting up. He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes, trying to remember when he'd fallen asleep. Looking out the window, he could see the first rays of the sunrise shining cutting through the dark sky.

_It's still so early. Hohenheim certainly doesn't waste any time._

"You have time to shower if you want," the man said, bringing Maes out of his thoughts. "There's an extra towel in the bathroom. I'd make it quick, though. We have another long day ahead of us."

Maes looked at his companion, noticing the man had already dressed in a different set of clothes than the previous day and his long hair was down and dripping wet. Not knowing when the two would have another chance to stay at an inn, he grabbed a new shirt and pair of pants and made his way to the bathroom.

Much to his surprise, the water wasn't ice cold when he turned on the shower. It didn't warm up near like it did in his family's apartment back in Central, but it was still warm enough that he sighed in relief as the water cascaded over his aching muscles. He would have stayed there all day if he had the time, but he and Hohenheim didn't have that luxury. He quickly cleaned up and got dressed for the day.

Exiting the bathroom, he saw Hohenheim throw on his long coat before tying his hair back. He silently made his way back to his bed. He grabbed the notebook and turned to give it back to its original owner when he caught a glimpse of the contents scattered across the man's bed.

Hohenheim paid him no mind as he folded his clothing and packed it back in the suitcase, only to be crumpled by the surplus of books and notebooks he then stacked on top of them. His brow furrowed when he saw the condition of the notebooks as his companion packed them away. The covers were worn and even cracked in some cases. A couple even had a portion of the cover torn off, revealing the stained pages within.

Maes looked down at the notebook in his own hands. The cover wasn't worn or cracked. Flipping through the notebook again, he saw none of the pages were stained or torn. The notebook he had looked brand new by comparison.

"You can keep that with you, for now," Hohenheim said, causing Maes to look up at his companion.

"Thank you," he mumbled, putting it in his own suitcase before clasping it shut.

The two dropped the key to their room off with the innkeeper who gave them a jolly farewell before they left the inn. Despite being so early in the day, the small town was already buzzing with life. Maes watched as a few men headed out to the massive field on the outskirts of the town.

"I bet you can't catch me!"

He had to step to the side before being bowled over by a young boy running at him with another right on his heels. Much like Resembool, they were greeted with a smile and wave by everyone they came across. A part of him wished they could stay for little longer.

_But we don't have that kind of time._

"Excuse me?"

The two travelers stopped and turned around. A girl that couldn't have been older than seven-years-old with short black hair stood behind them. She held a small basket in her arms filled to the brim with apples.

"Would either of you like to buy an apple? They're only ten cenz!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Maes could see Hohenheim's lips quirked upward, and he was certain his own mirrored his companion's. He dug around his pocket for a couple of coins and knelt down.

"I'll take a couple," he said as he extended the coins out to the young girl.

A radiant smile flashed across her face and she handed Maes two apples.

"Thank you so much, sir!"

Before he could say anything, she ran off. He straightened back up and held out one of the apples to Hohenheim. The man looked hesitant to take it, but his stomach growled and he took it.

"Did she look like your daughter?" the man asked before taking a bite of the apple.

Maes' heart dropped, but he forced the grin to remain on his face and shook his head.

"My daughter just turned three a few weeks ago. She's got light brown hair, just like her mom." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I've just always had a soft spot for kids, I guess."

_I will see Elicia again. I can't forget that._

The two left the small town and continued south. They'd hardly even begun their day's journey and Maes' earlier observation wouldn't stop nagging at him.

_Hohenheim's been practicing alchemy for several years. The notebook he gave me couldn't be more than a few years old. That aside, I've never seen Edward or Alphonse with something like that. I assumed after studying alchemy for a while, understanding materials and their compositions would be second nature._

"What made you start the notebook you gave me last night?"

The words were out of his mouth before he could even attempt to stop himself, his curiosity getting the better of him. He could see Hohenheim's body tense, but his face maintained its usual impassiveness.

"Edward and Alphonse."

Maes stopped in his tracks. Hohenheim kept going and didn't even bother looking back. He shook his head and had to jog to catch back up. He opened his mouth, but honestly didn't even know where to begin.

"Last I saw Ed, he was only five-years-old," Hohenheim started, causing the younger man to clamp his mouth shut. "Even then, I knew he was a smart kid. I'd already caught him sneaking into my library and looking at my books when he thought I wasn't around to notice. I knew Al would probably follow suit when he was able. I had a feeling the two would be interested in alchemy, so I created the notebook for them to reference while they first started." He bowed his head slightly and his shoulders sagged, but he kept going. "Those two might not have needed it, but that doesn't mean it was a waste of my time. I suppose anyone else that's new to alchemy could find a use for it."

There was a brief moment of silence.

"I see," Maes muttered.

_He intended to help Ed and Al learn alchemy. He truly intended to come back. How the hell did he not realize he'd been gone for ten years?_

"I'm afraid there's not another town before our destination. If we keep up our current pace, we should be there by tomorrow afternoon, even if we stop for the night."

Obviously no longer wanting to discuss his sons, Maes didn't pester him anymore on the subject.

"Would you mind telling me what we're doing when we get there?"

Hohenheim glanced over his shoulder. The former military officer automatically followed his gaze. The small town was no longer in sight. He completely turned around, not realizing how far they had already gone.

There was nothing.

His heart pounded in his chest. There were no trees. There weren't even any hills, at least as far as he could see. There was no place to hide.

_We're just sitting ducks out in the open…._

…and yet nothing happened.

The two may have been out in the open, but it seemed as though they were truly _alone._

Hohenheim reached into his pocket and took out a folded piece of paper. Wordlessly, he handed it to Maes who opened it up instantly. His eyes widened as he took in the contents of the paper.

He was staring at a map of Amestris. Similar to the map he drew on that fateful night only a week previously, there was a transmutation circle. He'd seen them before; however, despite his best friend being an alchemist, he'd never seen a circle with such an intricate design. What really caught his eye was a smaller circle drawn on the southern border of Amestris, exactly where they were heading.

"The man behind the nation-wide transmutation circle calls himself 'Father.'" Maes looked up at his companion. Much like he'd seen in Ed, fire raged in the man's golden eyes. "His only goal is to evolve into—what he considers to be—the 'perfect being.' He's willing to sacrifice the entire country to achieve his goal. With Fuhrer Bradley in charge of the Amestrian military, nothing can stop Father from completing the circle. In an ideal situation, he won't be able to activate it, but we can't depend on that and have to move forward under the assumption that he will."

Maes blinked and turned back to the map in his hands.

"So…all of those people…."

_Gracia…Elicia…Roy…Edward…Alphonse…._

_They're all going to be sacrificed?_

"Initially, yes. Father will absorb every soul in Amestris, but this circle will counter that. Every single soul will be expelled and returned to its original body in the event Father can't be stopped."

Maes handed the map back to Hohenheim before taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. He heard an amused huff coming from his companion.

"I understand this has to be a lot to take in."

"It is," Maes responded with a grim smile, "but I don't exactly have time to question it, do I?"

Hohenheim chuckled at that, carefully folding the map back up and tucking it into his coat pocket. The two continued walking, neither showing any sign of slowing down anytime soon.

***break***

"How do you know Father?"

Hohenheim choked on his water at the sudden question. Maes had been silent since they stopped to rest for the night, instantly grabbing the notebook from his suitcase to use what little sunlight they had left to study. Now, the younger man sprawled out on the ground with his hands folded behind his head.

"You know his ultimate goals and plans, so how do you know him?"

Hohenheim followed Maes' lead and laid down on the ground. He couldn't get himself to look anywhere but the sky and he took a deep breath.

"He's the one who first taught me alchemy."

He could feel his companion's eyes on him, but he remained silent. He couldn't help but be grateful that Maes knew when he didn't want to answer more questions. The two would be spending a lot of time together over the next few months, and Maes understood that.

He knew he'd probably be answering all of his questions at one point or another.

***break***

"What's the composition of cotton?"

Maes smirked.

"Fifty percent oxygen, forty-four percent carbon, and six percent hydrogen."

He'd actually woken up before Hohenheim that morning. The second it was light enough, he took out the notebook and continued studying. Nothing could stop the pride welling in his chest when he noticed the man's pleased expression. It was the fourth question he'd answered correctly, after all.

"You're picking up fast. I might be teaching you how to draw a circle when we get back to the inn tomorrow night."

Maes' smirk turned into a grin at the comment. The two continued walking up the only hills they'd seen since they left the inn. The grass was slowly fading into mere patches as they climbed further to the top. It had been a welcome sight compared to the flat land that surrounded them for the last twenty-four hours, but nothing could have prepared Maes for the moment they reached the top.

His jaw dropped when he stared at the vast desert before his eyes. There was nothing but sand as far as he could see. It was so empty, yet so _beautiful_. Ishval was the closest he'd ever come to seeing the desert along the eastern border of the country, and he didn't exactly have time to appreciate the view when he was fighting a war.

_Our own military orchestrated the Eastern Rebellion…all of those lives lost just to create a transmutation circle…._

He winced at the thought, but then shook his head. He couldn't think about that when the entire country's population was at stake. He looked to Hohenheim. His brow furrowed when the man set his suitcase down and he started unbuttoning his shirt.

"Anna was a teacher," Hohenheim said, as if that explained everything. "As a young girl, she taught her younger sisters how to read and write, even though her own mother didn't approve. She loved to learn and wanted to teach everything she learned to those around her. Micah was an artist. His nightmares would haunt him even into the day unless he unleashed them onto his canvases. In some strange way, he believed painting helped him keep them away."

_Has Hohenheim lost his mind? Who is he talking about?_

"Daniel was considered a thief by his father, but he was proud of it. His father was wealthy and always had more than he needed. Daniel would steal extra food and clothing his family didn't need and give it to those who did. He didn't stop even when his father discovered what he was doing and beat him for it."

Maes' eyes widened when Hohenheim dug his fingers into his chest until he drew blood. Massive droplets splattered across the ground.

"Thank you for your sacrifice," Hohenheim sighed.

Maes stared at his companion, completely dumbfounded.

"Why would you do—"

He was cut off by a red flash on Hohenheim's chest. The flesh around the gaping wounds morphed together and the wounds closed instantly.

_The man healed my gunshot wound. He just healed his own chest. There was only that red flash. No circle. No signs of a transmutation._

"Who the hell are you?"

Hohenheim couldn't help but smirk.

"I'm a philosopher stone."


	8. Chapter 8

Hohenheim didn’t hesitate for even a second. He grabbed his suitcase and kept walking. Maes, on the other hand, opened and closed his mouth a few times, doing a very good impression of a fish out of water.

_“I’m a philosopher stone.”_

_What the hell does that even mean?_

Before the man could leave him too far behind, he ran to catch up. Question after question flooded his mind, and he couldn’t figure out which one he needed to ask first.

“You’re a philosopher stone….”

It sounded more like a question than a statement. He supposed that was the best place to start. Hohenehim merely nodded.

“You can bypass the Law of Equivalent Exchange….”

“That’s correct.”

_Where do I even begin?_

“I…you…how?” he managed to get out.

“It’s a long story,” Hohenheim sighed. “One that you probably aren’t up to hearing—”

“We’ve got time.”

Maes might not have been able to see the man’s eyes behind the glare on his glasses, but he could see the man’s eyebrows rise above the frames.

“You might not believe me….” Hohenheim continued, but trailed off when the former military officer shot an annoyed glance in his direction.

“I saw something that looked like my wife transform into a walking house plant. I may have been shot, but I know what I saw, so I’m pretty sure I’ve got an open mind to hear whatever you have to say.”

The older man couldn’t stop a hearty laugh from escaping him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a small grin pulling at the corner of Maes’ lips. His shoulders sagged and he took a deep breath. He supposed his companion had a point.

“How familiar are you with the history of Xerxes, Maes?”

***break***

The ache in his back and neck is what got Roy to stir from his nap. He opened his eyes and found himself laying on his desk. Much to his surprise, he didn’t see sunlight streaming through the windows. He blinked and slowly sat up. He twisted his neck to the side, a loud crack slicing through the silent office. Looking around the room, he noticed everyone accept for Riza had gone home for the night. He definitely didn’t miss the smirk on her face when the ache in his back intensified and forced a groan from him. 

“Why didn’t you wake me?” he asked as he tilted his head to the side, the crack in his neck echoing throughout the empty office.

He expected some retort about being taught a lesson to not fall asleep on the job, but it never came. Instead, the corners of her lips lifted into a small smile.

“You weren’t fidgeting and looked like you were actually getting restful sleep. You needed it.”

That was certainly an understatement. The Colonel couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept through the night. He yawned, an envelope plopping down on his desk a second later.

“Edward stopped by while you were asleep. He asked me to ensure you received it.”

“All right,” Roy mumbled as he rubbed his eyes.

He blinked to clear the sight in front of him, Ed’s familiar messy scrawl strewn across the front of the envelope. He slowly ripped it open. 

_This better not be another late report written in crayon again…._

He unfolded the piece of paper, eyebrows shooting up when started reading the letter.

_“Dear Colonel Mustang”_

_Something’s wrong._

His youngest subordinate had never been so formal. He scanned the rest before he jumped up from his desk and raced for the door. 

“Sir?”

Riza was already standing up.

“Grab your keys. We have to get to the train station, now!”

Now just a step behind him, Riza followed him through the empty halls of Central Command. She couldn’t recall ever seeing her superior run so fast. Once they got to the car, she flung the door open and practically threw herself behind the wheel. The second the Colonel slammed the passenger door shut, she peeled out onto the streets. 

“Sir, can you tell me what’s….” she trailed off when she glanced at the man beside her.

Roy still held on to the letter tight enough for the edges to crinkle. She could see his eyes moving back and forth across the paper. He didn’t seem like he’d even heard her, and he didn’t say a word the entire drive. He didn’t even wait for her to actually stop before jumping out of the car. 

“Dammit, Colonel!” he heard her growl before slamming the door shut.

Roy sprinted inside the station. Heart pounding in his chest, he looked around. Luck was on his side he supposed. He spotted Al instantly with Ed slumped against his side, fast asleep. The two were on the only occupied bench in the station. He checked his watch.

_It’s nearly ten o’clock. Not many trains are running this late. I really did get lucky. If they’d left any sooner…._

“Colonel?”

He hadn’t even realized he’d approached the two brothers, but there he stood in front of them. Obviously, he surprised the younger Elric if him abruptly jumping to his feet and knocking over their suitcases was any indication. Ed fell back and smacked his head against the bench.

“Ow! What the hell, Al?” Ed mumbled while he rubbed the back of his head. He rubbed his eyes and finally sat up, shoulders slouching when he saw the older alchemist. “The hell are you doing here?”

Before Roy even got a chance to speak, Ed’s eyes widened. The kid staggered to his feet and rummaged through his coat pocket. A silver flash hurtled toward him, but he managed to catch the object just before it hit his chest. He looked down.

_Ed’s state alchemist watch…._

“I knew I was forgetting something. That should be everything, right?” 

“Fullmetal—“

“You can’t call me that anymore. I’m done with the military.”

“Can you at least tell me why—“

“Why do you care?” Ed plopped back down on the bench. He stretched out, rested his head on his arms, and closed his eyes. “Don’t you have paperwork to ignore? I’m resigning. That’s all you need to know. Now leave me alone.”

“I’m so sorry Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye, brother’s just—“

He tuned out the younger Elric’s attempt to apologize for his brother and looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, Riza already found her way over to them. Her eyes were locked on Ed and her brow furrowed. She met his gaze briefly and nodded before moving closer to Al. Without a second of hesitation, he walked up to the bench and sat down directly next to blond, causing him to open a gold eye. If the circumstances had been any different, Roy would’ve laughed at the groan that followed.

“I thought I told you to leave me alone.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Fullmetal.”

“Don’t call me that. I’m not in the military anymore, Colonel.”

“If you’re not in the military, you have to call me ‘Roy’ then.”

Ed stared at him like he’d just grown a second head. He shook his head, as if physically shaking the thought from his mind. He buried his face in his arms.

“Why are you still here?” came a slightly muffled voice.

“I’ll leave if you give me an honest answer.”

“I don’t have to answer anything.”

“I guess that means I’ll stay until your train shows up. What kind of commanding officer would I be if I didn’t see one of my men off—“

Ed suddenly lifted his head.

“How can you still be here?”

Al and Riza’s conversation ceased immediately at the outburst. Roy stared at the kid, eyebrows raising when he saw tears brimming in his eyes. He probably wouldn’t have seen it if he hadn’t been sitting right next to boy. That’s when Ed’s question sunk in.

_How…not why…but how can I still be here?_

He put a hand on Ed’s shoulder when the kid sat back up.

“What are you talking about, Fullmetal?”

“Dammit, Colonel, Hughes is dead!” Roy’s chest tightened, but he didn’t dare interrupt the young alchemist. Ed pulled his knees up to his chest. “If I hadn’t asked him to…if I’d just done the research myself….”

Roy’s breath hitched.

_That’s what this is about._

“Fullmetal, did you ask Hughes to—“

“How can you even look at me when I got your best friend killed?”

Roy’s head shot up toward Riza and Al, the younger Elric slowly turning away from the First Lieutenant with his helmet down. He looked back to Ed, who’d completely curled up into a ball with his head resting on his knees. Moving his hand from the kid’s shoulder to his back, he could feel Ed shaking. 

“Leave…please. We’ll find a way to get our bodies back, but let us go.”

_Or you might die too._

It didn’t take Roy even a second to understand the Elrics’ intentions. Riza quickly rounded to face the suit of armor, putting a hand on Al’s chest plate and guiding him closer to the two on the bench. He slid even closer to the blond and completely embraced the kid. It was impossible to miss the way Ed tensed in his arms.

“Colonel, what the hell—“

“Edward,” he looked up to the younger Elric, “Alphonse, you two didn’t kill Maes Hughes.”

Ed sniffed and tensed even more, which Roy didn’t think was possible.

“But we—“

“Hughes was the best investigator I ever knew. Hell, I would go as far to say he was the best investigator in the entire military. I…I always thought that would be his downfall.” He sighed when he felt Ed slightly relax his arms, starting to uncurl from the tight ball he’d been in. “If you two hadn’t asked him for help and he found out you were needing information, he would have researched day and night until he found answers for you.”

“But why did he have to die?”

Ed’s voice was so quiet that Roy almost didn’t hear the question. His arms tightened around the kid.

_I wonder the same thing, kid._

“I wish I had an answer for you. My best guess is he stumbled across some information he shouldn’t have and somebody wanted to keep him quiet. We can’t change that. All we can do is work together to find who did this and finish what Hughes started, and we can’t do that if you two leave.”

Ed’s shaking slowly started to subside, but he still refused to make eye contact with the Colonel. Roy put a hand on his head. The young alchemist finally met his superior’s gaze.

“But what if something happens to your team?”

“ _Our_ team, Ed, you and Alphonse included.” He looked to the younger Elric. “And do you know what my team does? We look out for each other. We have each other’s backs in every situation. If we can do that, Hughes will not have died in vain, but _all_ of us have to work together in this endeavor. Is that understood?”

Ed may not have realized it, but he was leaning closer to the Colonel. Al’s helmet perked up a little, and Riza couldn’t help but grin at that.

“Can we give you two a ride back to the dorms?” she asked.

Al shifted his stance, the armor creaking with the movement. His brother looked up at him, and the two nodded.

“That would be nice. Thanks, Lieutenant.”

The two alchemists stood up, Roy’s arm still wrapped around the teen. He only dropped it when the last of the tension fled his subordinate. 

“I’ll go with you to return those tickets,” he said as he jerked his head toward the ticket booth. 

Al picked up their suitcases and followed Riza toward the exit. Roy started toward the ticket booth, Ed right by his side.

_As it should be._

“Thanks, Colonel.”

Roy screeched to a halt, but Ed kept walking. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he was staring down at the ground, but his shoulders weren’t hunched. There was a slight bounce in his step that he probably wasn’t even aware of that certainly wasn’t there the past couple days. The Colonel smiled and tilted his head to the side.

_You’re welcome, Ed. Hopefully you’ll see that I can actually be right once in a while._

***break***

Maes gazed at the stars, only the occasional wisps of smoke obscuring his view. Fingers interlocked and resting on his stomach, he replayed the information over and over until it played in his mind like a broken record.

_He’s from Xerxes…he’s the only survivor from the fall of Xerxes…._

He closed his eyes.

_This man’s practically the father of modern alchemy. He’s been teaching people alchemy for decades. He only stop for…._

The corners of his lips quirked up into a grin.

_Trisha Elric. Hell, I can’t blame him. If I’d spent a few centuries alone and found someone like my Gracia…._

He could practically feel a stab to his heart, but he didn’t let himself dwell on it, the grin resettling on his face.

_I’ll see her again, and Hohenheim will see his sons again. He’ll be so proud of Edward and Alphonse…._

He bolted up in a sitting position and his eyes flew open. A twig snapped just a second later.

_If Hohenheim’s a philosopher’s stone._

“I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

Maes nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice. Neither man had uttered a word after Hohenheim’s story earlier that afternoon. The alchemist sat across the fire from him, a stick in his hand.

“No, I haven’t been able to sleep,” he responded.

“I see.” He dug the tip of the stick in the dirt. “I think I know which transmutation circle you can start with. It’s quick and easy to draw, so it should be perfect for you.”

The former Lieutenant Colonel stood up, his joints cracking as he did so. He circled around the fire and sat next to Hohenheim. The man had already completed a circle with a square inside of it. He dragged the stick in another circle within the first one.

“Would you be able to get Al’s body restored?”

Hohenheim stopped drawing and stared at the bare bones of the transmutation circle before him. His jaw clenched, so Maes immediately dropped his gaze to the ground. The two were silent for what felt like an eternity.

_I probably shouldn’t have even asked…._

“I would gladly sacrifice myself for my son if that’s what it took.” Maes barely suppressed a gasp and his head shot back up. His companion still wouldn’t look at him, but he couldn’t feel any anger radiating off of the man. “I wish I could do it now, but if we don’t stop Father, Alphonse won’t even have a soul. No one in Amestris will.” His golden eyes finally met Maes’ and he smiled. “So why don’t we keep going? Once we’ve succeeded on the Promised Day, we’ll get my son his body back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely hope you all enjoyed the Parental!RoyEd in this chapter! I've finally caught up cross-posting this fic and the next chapter is in the works! Until next time!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I’m back with another chapter. Let’s get on with it!
> 
> I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

***one week later***

“What the hell’s wrong with his one?”

“I told you, the points of the larger square can’t extend beyond the outer circle.”

Maes groaned and crumpled up the piece of paper, tossing it on the ground to join the others. He rubbed both hands down his face and leaned back in the chair. His frustration didn’t lessen in the slightest when he opened his eyes and saw the smirk on Hohenheim’s face.

“We’ve been at this for a week.”

“And we’ll be at it for another week if that’s what it takes for you to get this right, Maes.”

Maes narrowed his eyes at the other man.

“I’m sure you find this hilarious,” he grumbled as he grabbed another sheet of paper and slammed it on the desk.

The golden-haired man stretched out on the bed and clasped his hands behind his head.

“Not necessarily. I just remember the frustrations of trying to grasp alchemy for the first time.” He chuckled and closed his eyes. “It’s not easy. I know it might seem like I’m harsh, but you need to draw these circles _correctly_ in your sleep to perform these transmutations. I won’t always be there to help you if there’s a rebound.”

Maes pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I know. I was just hoping….“

“You’d be further along by now?” Hohenheim finished. He sighed and propped himself up on his arms. “Alchemy can’t be understood overnight, and even men that have studied it for decades can always find something new to learn. You don’t have to be a master at this. Yes, we’re on a deadline, but even a simple transmutation can be helpful on the Promised Day. It’s getting late, so why don’t you get some rest? You can try again tomorrow.”

Maes looked to the clock on the wall above him before staring back down at the blank sheet of paper in front of him.

_It’s only ten o’clock, but maybe Hohenheim has a point…._

“I suppose you’re right.” 

He kicked his boots off and flopped down on the unoccupied bed. His eyes drooped shut instantly. He didn’t even cover himself with the blankets before falling asleep.

 ***break***

_Two circles and two squares: the corners of the larger square barely touching the outer circle and the inner square rotated forty-five degrees, its corners touching the edges of the larger square. He dropped the piece of chalk and stared at the transmutation circle._

_It was nearly perfect._

_Placing his hands on the circle, a hum rattled him to his core. An almost electric energy tingled over his skin and surged through his veins._

_“What the hell?” he muttered._

_Light blue flashes danced across the circle and crackling exploded in the silent room. He was thrown away from the circle and was sent tumbling on the ground. The glow illuminating the circle grew darker by the second. He tried to push himself up only to scream at the agony emanating from his right arm._

_His heart plummeted when he noticed the blood trailing from the circle. Mustering up the courage, he looked down to his right hand._

_It was gone, leaving a bloody stump in its wake._

_“What the hell have I done?”_

Maes shot up in his bed. His chest was heaving, but his breathing evened out when he realized he was using both hands to hold himself up. He slowly lowered himself back down onto the pillows. Turning to the side, he cradled his right hand to his chest.

_It was a dream…it was just a dream._

He glanced to the bed across from him, grateful that he didn’t wake his companion. Heart hammering in his chest, he closed his eyes and took slow, deep breaths. He burrowed further into the blankets surrounding him before his eyes flung back open.

_I don’t remember getting under the blankets…._

He looked back to Hohenheim, watching the subtle rising and falling of his chest. The man grimaced before turning over on his side. Maes couldn’t stop the grin from settling on his face as his muscles relaxed.

_I guess you’re really just looking out for me, Hohenheim. I’m sorry you’ll have to for a while longer, but I promise I’ll try to return the favor however I can._

He loosened his grip on the blankets and drifted off within seconds.

***break***

Maes dropped his suitcase and all but collapsed on the bench. He took off his glasses, wiping the sweat threatening to drip in his eyes. The platform creaked when Hohenheim walked over to him with their tickets.

“If I’d known ‘just a little ways up the road’ meant over five kilometers, I would have gotten us up earlier,” the man huffed as he plopped down.

Maes couldn’t help but laugh.

“I guess that innkeeper isn’t used to giving proper directions.”

He looked back down the road he and his companion sprinted down just minutes ago.

_I can’t believe how much of this country I haven’t even seen. It’s so peaceful here. Maybe once this is over, Gracia, Elicia, and I could…._

His thoughts trailed off when he saw smoke billowing and a faint train whistle slicing through the quiet countryside. Only a few minutes later, the train came in sight. He and Hohenheim stood up on shaky legs. Despite the train slowing down, a rush of air whirled around the two when it rolled into the station. To neither of their surprise, no one got off. The few passengers aboard paid them no mind when they meandered through the aisle and slumped down into their seats. Maes leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes.

He must’ve dozed off because Hohenheim shaking him made him jump out of his skin.

“You need to see this,” he said, keeping his voice low. “I found it a few seats back. It’s yesterday’s paper.”

A newspaper was shoved into his hands a second later. His vision may have been slightly blurry, but there was no missing the bold headline.

**_MURDER SUSPECT BURNED TO ASHES_ **

Maes blinked and shook his head.

_I have to be seeing things. It can’t be…._

A picture of Second Lieutenant Maria Ross stared right back at him. After a few moments, he finally mustered up the courage to read the article.

_Second Lieutenant Maria Ross was a suspect for the murder of Brigadier General Maes Hughes. She was arrested when the lone gun found at the crime scene was identified as hers. She escaped Central prison the night of her arrest and ran from the military police. Colonel Roy Mustang found her and, upon her attacking him, was forced to defend…._

The rest of the article jumbled together, his eyes locking on only three words.

_Colonel Roy Mustang._

_Roy couldn’t have burned her alive, could he?_

He sunk down in his seat.

_Maria Ross didn’t shoot me. That creature did, but it managed to get ahold of her actual gun. It doesn’t look good for her, but Roy wouldn’t…._

Hohenheim grabbed the paper and skimmed through the article, his eyebrows raised.

“I don’t think I’ve heard about the Flame Alchemist since the Eastern Rebellion. I guess he found….”

_No. Maria Ross didn’t kill me. Roy wouldn’t kill her even if she had. There has to be some sort of misunderstanding._

Maes straightened up and his eyes widened.

_“I have an old friend from my days in Ishval that keeps me updated on everything going on in the military. Do you happen to know Colonel Mustang?”_

_Dr. Knox…._

_“This isn’t exactly the first time I’ve helped fake a death.”_

He shook his head and smiled.

“She isn’t dead.”

Hohenheim glanced over his shoulder and around the before leaning in closer.

“You don’t think so?”

_If Knox was Roy’s friend and he’s definitely done this sort of thing before…._

“I know so. She was innocent. Roy wouldn’t blindly annihilate her.”

“Roy? So you’re familiar with the Flame Alchemist.”

Maes’ chest tightened and his grin waned a tad. He took a deep breath, but he couldn’t seem to get enough air.

“We’re practically family,“ he said, running a hand through his hair, ”or we were….”

He trailed off, chest now aching. He stared out the window and watched the trees blur right by as the train raced toward South City. 

“Tell me about him.” 

He jumped and turned in his seat, noting the way his companion leaned back with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were closed, so Maes could have sworn he imagined it until Hohenheim spoke up again.

“Tell me about the Flame Alchemist. Aside from what little I heard about Ishval, I don’t know much about the man.”

Maes couldn’t stop his smile from returning.

“We met back in the academy, and I have to be honest, we absolutely hated each other at first.” He couldn’t help but chuckle, and Hohenheim couldn’t help it as well. “We put our differences aside when we had to defend one of our classmates and we only grew closer by the day. I…I’d never met a man who wanted to help his country as much as he did. His passion was infectious, and I missed it when we both graduated. I didn’t see him for a while since he wanted to be a state alchemist. We wrote to each other and never lost touch, but it wasn’t the same. Unfortunately, we didn’t reunite until the state alchemists were deployed to Ishval.”

“All of the state alchemists were sent to the front lines, correct?” Hohenheim asked.

Maes quirked his lips into a thin line.

“They were,” he confirmed. “I’m not sure if you know all of the details about the war. Whether it was intentional or not, the Amestrians started that war, and we were order to exterminate the Ishvalans for merely defending themselves. I….” His voice cracked and he had to clear his throat before he could speak again. “At one time, I actually thought I was doing what was best for Amestris. I think Roy did, too. It wasn’t until the annihilation truly begun that I started to question our own military. I watched soldiers break down because of our actions. I watched it tear Roy apart from the inside out, but he still marched on and followed orders, and I’m ashamed to say I did as well. Our true colors really shone through during that war.”

“I think you mean your former colors.” Maes perked up and raised an eyebrow at his companion. The man still had his eyes closed, but he could probably feel his gaze. “Humans have a tendency to change over time. I’m not justifying any of your actions, but I met a man in Resmebool that was willing to leave behind his family to save an entire nation. That doesn’t sound like a man that blindly follows the military’s orders. Can I ask what changed?”

He didn’t even need to think about the answer.

“Roy did. Once the Amestrians won, he was determined to work his ass off to move up the ranks. That’s the only way he thinks he’ll be able to restore Ishval.”

“He wants to restore Ishval?”

Hohenehim finally opened his eyes. It was impossible to miss the gleam in them. Maes nodded.

“We followed orders that weren’t right. We slaughtered countless Ishvalans…and we can’t take that back. Roy wants to end the corruption that led us there in the first place. He’s dedicated his entire life to it. He wants to rebuild Ishval, no matter how long it takes.”

The older man didn’t say anything for a while. He closed his eyes again and slumped a little further down in this seat.

“It’s good to know there’s someone with good intentions in our military. His goals are admirable, but—“

“He will.” Maes nearly winced at the sharp edge in his tone. “I know he will. He has an entire team supporting him. It doesn’t matter who’s really controlling our military. He’s going to finish what he’s set out to do.”

“Well, then I sincerely hope you’re right. He sounds like the leader Amestris needs.”

Maes couldn’t help but smile.

“He is. I’m very proud to call him my friend. His subordinates couldn’t have a better commanding officer, even though I know he and Ed argue—“

“He’s Edward’s commanding officer?” Hohenheim interrupted.

“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I know you probably never imagined Ed would join the military and I don’t know how you feel about the matter, but I can promise you that Roy is doing everything in his power to help your sons. Whenever he has the chance, he’s researching leads for their research. He’s covered for the two on countless occasions and kept the higher ups off their backs. Roy would do anything to protect his men, and that includes Ed and Al.”

Hohenheim’s shoulders sagged.

“That’s good to know. Maybe I’ll get to meet the man myself one day.”

He took off his glasses and tucked them into his pocket. Maes grinned before rummaging through his suitcase for his notebook and pen. Near silence engulfed the two travelers, only broken by the faint scratching on the paper.

_I think I’ve got it. Let me just check…._

He turned to Hohenheim’s transmutation circle.

_It’s perfect…but I did this a couple days ago. I have to keep drawing._

“I wasn’t there in Ishval, Maes,” Hohenheim said, startling him and causing him to drop the pen. “The order to exterminate the Ishvalans was wrong, but I see you understand that, as well. As I said, I’m not going to justify your actions, but I want you to know something. When we met in that graveyard, you said you knew about the circle, so I’m assuming you remember what each point in that circle was, correct?”

_What does that have to do with…._

_…death._

The blood in his veins turned to ice.

“Father orchestrated all of those events, including the Eastern Rebellion. The military is nothing more than a pawn to help him complete the circle, and nothing was going to stop him from starting that war. You didn’t make the right decision then, but you are now. That doesn’t mean you forget, though. Right now, you move forward and face the enemy at hand. After the Promised Day, you will continue to move forward and help your friend restore Ishval. Agreed?”

He looked down to his notebook, imagining the circle on the map of his country.

 _Hohenheim’s right. I can’t take back what I’ve already done. I should never forget what I’ve done._

_Unfortunately, that isn’t my biggest concern right now._

_Once we counter the transmutation circle…once we save this entire nation…once the corruption in our military is gone…._

_Ishval will never happen again._

“Agreed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there it is! I sincerely hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I’m already excited to write the next one. Don’t be afraid to let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is always welcome. I'm also (finally hahaha) getting around to posting some of my other fics from FFN on here, so that's exciting for me. Until next time: stay safe, stay healthy, and read lots of fanfics!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I have returned with another chapter! Thank you all so much for your response to this fic so far. It’s more encouraging than you all will ever know.

Maes fought the urge to squirm from his seat. Hohenheim held the pages up, obscuring his expression. 

“Draw another one.”

Wasting no time, he flipped his notebook open to a blank page and whipped out his pencil. He had another circle drawn within seconds. Hohenheim held out his hand, and he ripped out the page and gave him the drawing without a word. 

Finally, his companion met his gaze.

“I believe you’re ready to try your first transmutation, Maes.”

He sprawled out on the bed before bringing his hands to cover his face. Hohenheim laughed before heading toward the bathroom.

“You’ve worked hard over these last few days. Get some rest. You’ll need to be at your best tomorrow.”

The man didn’t need to tell him twice. He sat back up and toed off his shoes. He rummaged through his suitcase for the gray sweat pants Knox had packed for him. He clutched the material to his chest, relishing the softness of the clean fabric. 

_I honestly never thought I’d miss something as mundane as washing my clothes._

Exactly half-way between South and East City lied the small town of Holbeck. Although it was only slightly larger than Resembool, it was an optimal place to stop for a few days and restock their supplies. While neither man would admit it, they really needed the peace and rest.

_East City’s technically be more suited for our needs, but it’s not as if either of us could venture out that far into the city. If the higher ups at Central Command are in on this, there’s no telling who else…._

Maes shook his head at the thought. He grabbed his wallet off the desk, relaxing when he saw that he had more than enough money to get a train ticket to East City. He hadn’t even touched the rest of the money in the suitcase. There was no stopping the grin that spread across his face.

_Knox really set me up well, didn’t he?_

He quickly changed and crawled into bed. Exhaustion from the day crashed over him like a tidal wave, and he fell asleep effortlessly.

***break***

Hohenheim led him out to the outskirts of Holbeck. The lively hum of the town faded until the only sound was the rustling leaves of the trees around them. The man didn’t slow, not even when the town was completely out of sight. 

“You probably weren’t expecting to go on a hike this morning,” he joked, “but I wanted to make sure you were away from any distractions. You need to focus.”

Maes nodded, doing his best to ignore the growing pit in his stomach. 

_I’ve studied the compositions. I’ve drawn circle after circle until my hands couldn’t hold a pencil. I can draw it correctly. Even if I mess up, Hohenheim’s here. He’s practiced alchemy for literal centuries. Nothing’s going to go wrong._

He bumped into his companion, not even realizing the man had stopped. 

“We should be good here,” he said. Suddenly, he whipped around to face him. “What’s the composition of wood?”

“Fifty percent carbon, forty-two percent oxygen, six percent hydrogen, one percent nitrogen, and one percent trace elements.”

“Excellent.” Hohenheim reached into his pockets, pulling out a small block of wood in one hand and a piece of chalk in the other. “For your first transmutation, I want you to flatten this piece of wood.”

_Sounds simple enough…._

He caught the two items when Hohenheim tossed them his way. He knelt down and pressed the tip of the chalk to the grass. Despite the hundreds of circles he’d drawn, he held his breath as though it’d stop his hand from shaking.

_Draw the first circle, then the inner circle. Draw the biggest square. Make sure each vertex touches the outer circle. The inner square’s vertices should touch the edges of my first square. This has to be perfect. This is an actual transmutation._

He glanced up to Hohenheim, who was already looming over his shoulder and inspecting the circle. Once he received a nod, Maes finally placed the block of wood within it. He touched his fingertips to the circle. The second they made contact, a foreign energy rushed up through his fingers, into his hands, and up his arms before spreading throughout the rest of his body. Something akin to electricity tingled and danced across his skin. He gasped and pulled his hands away.

_What the hell was that?_

He stared at the setup before him.

_Is this what Roy feels whenever he puts on his gloves? Is that what Ed and Al feel during every transmutation? How do these alchemists…._

A hand on his back pulled him out of his thoughts.

“I know it’s strange, but you’ll get used to it. It will take a lot of practice, but you won’t even feel it after a while.”

Maes swallowed and nodded before setting his gaze back on the circle. He inhaled deeply through his nose and gently placed his fingertips on the circle. Closing his eyes, he ignored the energy surging through his body until he completely flattened his palms on the ground. He locked himself into place, fighting the urge to yank his hands away. When he mustered the courage to open his eyes again, they widened at the blue glow slowly emanating from the circle. The tingling intensified as the glow brightened.

_This is incredible…._

He looked to the lone piece of wood, nearly forgetting about the object.

_Break down the wood into its basic components. It’s nothing more than carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen. Once it’s broken down…wait…why isn’t anything happening?_

The glow faded and the energy left his body as quick as it had entered. His chest heaved and his arms hung limp by his sides. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. His heart dropped into his stomach when he saw the block of wood—untouched—in the middle of the circle. He picked it up and turned it over in his hands.

_I’m completely drained…after all that energy…nothing…._

“You’re not going to get it on your first try, Maes,” Hohenheim said, handing him a canteen. “Alchemy will require all of your energy and concentration in the beginning. I’d recommend resting between your attempts.”

Maes huffed and put the wood back in the circle. Sitting back on his heels, he wiped the sweat off his brow.

“I think it’s safe to say I’ll be sleeping well tonight,” he mumbled to himself.

He took a swig out of the canteen, relishing the cool water running down his throat. He took slow, even breaths. Setting the canteen back down, he sat back up on his knees.

_It’s just fifty percent carbon, forty-two percent oxygen, six percent hydrogen, one percent nitrogen, and one percent trace elements. Break it down. Reconstruct it._

He closed his eyes and touched the circle.

***break***

“Shouldn’t you be resting?”

Roy would’ve jumped at the voice if his body had been in any condition to do so. He stretched his legs out from his spot on the ground and leaned back, looking over his shoulder.

_How did I not hear his footsteps? Maybe Hawkeye was right…I should probably be more careful…._

“I have to say I wasn’t expecting you, Fullmetal.”

“I haven’t had the chance to come out here yet. Someone had this insane idea that I might ruin his plans and had me kidnapped and dragged out east.”

“Sorry about that,” he chuckled.

He turned back to the headstone, barely illuminated by the little sunlight that remained. Ed stopped right behind him. The two stared at the grave. The sun set and night descended on them, but they could still read the name clear as day.

_Brigadier General Maes Hughes_

“Don’t even think about it,” Ed said, finally breaking the silence between the two.

Roy’s brow furrowed and he turned to his subordinate.

“Don’t even think about what—“

“It’s impossible to bring him back.”

There was an edge to Ed’s voice that made his heart stop in his chest. Ed crossed his arms and stared at the ground. Despite his body’s protests, he got up and put a hand on the kid’s shoulder. Much to his surprise, the boy didn’t shrug him off.

“What are you talking about?”

“I know it hurts. I know what it’s like to want to bring someone back, but you can’t even consider it. It’s not possible.”

Roy’s lips quirked into a thin line.

_Technically speaking, if you have the components that make up the human body… but there’s the debate as for what counts for the human soul…._

“That thing in our basement wasn’t our mom.”

Roy tensed and his hand tightened on the kid’s shoulder.

“How do you know?”

“I guess Hohenheim was in Resembool and decided to pay Granny a visit,” Ed laughed bitterly. “He didn’t stick around long, though. I guess she gave him an abridged version of the last decade and he high-tailed it out of there. He left a letter for Al and I.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. “I almost ripped it to shreds the second Granny gave it to me, but I couldn’t….”

The boy trailed off. Roy couldn’t stop the pang that permeated throughout his chest.

“It’s okay to be curious. You haven’t seen the man in years. There’s nothing wrong with wondering what he has to say to you.”

Ed nodded at that, but still wouldn’t meet his gaze.

“He didn’t say much, just that what we conjured up wasn’t our mom. I didn’t believe him. I had to go see for myself.”

He clenched his hand into a fist, further crinkling the paper. Roy raised his eyebrows.

“Did you—“ he started only to be cut off.

“That bastard was right.” There was a slight hitch in Ed’s voice. “I still can’t say I’m completely sure of what that thing was, but it wasn’t our mom. We didn’t hurt her.”

A smile briefly flashed across Roy’s face at that, but it faded just as fast. Ed finally looked him in the eye.

_They never brought their mom back, so Al lost his body…and Ed lost his arm and leg…._

“I just wanted to warn you human transmutation is impossible, so don’t even consider it. The price isn’t worth it.”

_Especially when whatever you create won’t be the person you loved…._

Ed stuffed his hands in his pockets and started walking away from the grave. He’d only made it a few steps before a voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

“Thanks, Fullmetal.”

The boy’s shoulders hunched up slightly toward his ears, as if the words had physically hit him. He didn’t turn back around, but he did glance over his shoulder.

“As a fellow alchemist, I thought you’d be interested in the information. Don’t read too much into it.”

Roy waited until the kid was out of earshot before chuckling and shaking his head. He took one last look at the grave.

_I guess you don’t have to worry, Maes. I’ve got an entire team willing to talk some sense into me since you can’t._

He started his own trek across the graveyard back to his car, somehow having an easier time than he did when he first arrived.

***break***

Maes leaned forward on his knees and elbows. His arms were shaking to the point he wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold himself up.

_I have to keep trying. It can’t be this difficult. Our state alchemists do this effortlessly. I have to be doing something wrong. Wait…wouldn’t Hohenheim stop me if I was?_

“We should probably stop for the day.”

Before he could protest, a pair of hands lifted him up from under his arms and helped him to his feet. Bright spots danced across his vision. He would’ve fallen back over if Hohenheim hadn’t been holding him up. 

“Are you all right?” 

Maes blinked, his vision finally starting to clear up. He made sure he could stand on his own two feet before nodding. Hohenheim let him go. He wiped the sweat off his face with his sleeve and looked around, finally realizing how hard it was to see.

_When did it get so dark?_

He could see the last rays of sunlight in the distance. He sighed, taking off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose.

_We’ve been out here the entire day, and I didn’t have one successful transmutation. I didn’t even come close._

“You’re right. It must be getting late. We have time to come back tomorrow, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“Maybe tomorrow I’ll actually make some progress,” he grumbled under his breath.

Hohenheim approached the circle and knelt down.

“You didn’t see your last attempt, did you?”

Maes snapped his head toward his companion. Joining the man at the circle, his jaw dropping when he saw the contents at its center.

A corner of the block of wood had crumbled into dust.

“It looks like you started breaking the wood down, but lost focus part way through,” Hohenheim observed. “I honestly didn’t think you’d do that much today. I have to say I’m impressed.”

There was a bright blue flash. Then the man stood up with the block of wood in hand and back in its original form. Tucking it away in his pocket, he strode past him and started through the trees. Maes shook his head and jogged to catch up with him. Much to his relief, the blond had slowed down once he heard his companion gasping for air.

“I’m sorry, I should’ve been more considerate. You have to be exhausted. You’ll need to get all the rest you can tonight.”

“Is it normal to be this tired?” Maes couldn’t help but ask.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say normal,” Hohenheim said, tilting his head. “It makes sense, though. Most alchemists begin their studies at a much younger age and have the liberty of a virtually unrestricted time frame. You have to completely master a basic transmutation in a matter of months. You’ll probably feel drained for a while, but the more you practice, the less energy and focus each transmutation will require.”

Maes let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.

_It won’t always be like this._

He straightened up as much as he could and kept pace with his companion. He held his head high.

_I’ll get it, and it’ll only get easier. I’ll be able to help on the Promised Day._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ends another chapter! Maes is finally trying a transmutation! He wasn’t exactly successful…but I guess he’ll learn. I hope you all enjoyed that little scene with Ed and Roy! I didn’t plan it originally, but I actually had a lot of fun writing it.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you all are staying healthy and safe! Until next time!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I’ve returned with another chapter! Thank you all so much for the feedback on this fic. I’m happy to know you all are enjoying the ride!

Maes didn’t remember anything after his head hit the pillow the previous night. Next thing he knew, Hohenheim was shaking him awake, and he was jumping out of bed and getting dressed. He rubbed his eyes and followed his companion out of the inn. He started down the same path as the day before, but Hohenheim clamped his hands down on his shoulders and steered him further into the town.

“You were too exhausted last night and passed out when we got back to the inn, but you really need to eat something before we head back out there. You’ll need your energy if you want to attempt another transmutation.”

As if on cue, his stomach grumbled. The two walked around Holbeck until they came across a ramshackle building with a couple table and chairs set up outside. The outer wall was slightly caved in. A tarp was tied down on the roof, presumably covering a hole. The sign was hanging off the front by a single nail, and he couldn’t even read what was on it because it was so faded. A few wisps of smoke drifted out of the lone open window. Maes looked around.

_What the hell? I mean this town is really small, so there’s not a whole lot to compare it to, but no other buildings are this run down…._

Hohenheim was already stalking toward the building, and it took more effort than Maes was willing to admit to catch up. They had to duck under the sign to get through the door. A man at the counter with shoulder-length brown hair beamed at them. Maes noticed three other tables within the building, and only one was occupied with a woman and a steaming mug. The two approached the counter.

“It’s nice to see two new faces in town!” the man said. “We don’t get visitors very often. My name’s Benji, and I own this place. What brings you two by?”

Maes grinned.

“We were just passing through but decided to stay a couple days.”

“Holbeck will certainly have that effect on you! I was just passing through myself, but it’s been fifteen years and I haven’t left!”

The two laughed. He glanced at Hohenheim, who was staring at the wall behind the counter.

“What made you stay?” Maes asked.

“I met the most incredible woman, and she was pretty convincing.

The blond cracked a grin at that.

“I can definitely understand that,” he said. He tilted his head and pointed to the wall. “Is that her in the picture?”

Benji turned around and grabbed the photo. His smile widened when he showed it to them. 

“It sure is! That’s Jessa. This is my favorite picture of her and our daughter, Kayna. She just turned eleven….”

Maes tuned out the man’s rambling while he got a good look at his daughter. His brow furrowed when he noticed the wheel chair.

“Please don’t look at her like that.” Benji’s voice caused him to look up, but the man’s smile remained intact. “She’s a tough kid. She got really sick last winter, but my wife’s been taking her to a doctor in South City once a month for her checkups and to get her medicine. They just left for her appointment yesterday. She actually has the energy to walk to the train station on her own, now.”

_That certainly explains why the café is so run down. He doesn’t have any money to spare if his daughter has to go see a doctor all the way in South City._

A screeching chair jolted him out of his thoughts. He glanced over his shoulder. The only woman in the café set her mug down and left with a wave. The second she was gone, Hohenheim started toward the door.

“Benji, would you mind bringing out anyone in the kitchen and joining me outside for a minute?”

The man glanced to Maes, and he simply nodded. Benji peeked into the kitchen and motioned for whoever was in there to follow. A young man with short black hair came out, and the three followed his companion out of the café. 

“I’m sorry for interrupting your work,” Hohenheim apologized. “Just to be safe, I didn’t want anyone in the building.”

He put his hand on the wall.

“Why would—“ Benji started, but was cut off when a crackle erupted where Hohenheim made contact with the building.

Red flashes danced along the outside of the café. The cracks disappeared. The outer wall straightened up. The two locals backed away, eyes widening. The tarp flapped while the roof glowed for a couple seconds before fading just as rapidly. Hohenheim stepped away from the building, glancing at the sign straightened over the door. 

“It looks like you’ll have to repaint your sign, but everything else should be fixed.”

He turned around, eyebrows raising when he saw that Benji had fallen to his knees. His mouth opened, but his bottom lip trembled, and he couldn’t actually get any words out. Maes put a hand on his shoulder.

“Benji, are you….” He trailed off when a smile spread across the man’s face from ear-to-ear. 

A couple tears still traced down his cheeks, but the smile didn’t waver. Maes held out a hand to him, and Benji took it and managed to stand on shaking legs.

“I...I never thought I could fix this place….”

“Why don’t we go sit down?” he suggested.

The four entered the café, the young chef heading straight back into the kitchen, as if he were in a trance. Benji plopped down at the closest table. The two visitors pulled up a chair to join him.

“Wh-what…how did…what d-did you do?” Benji stammered. 

“I fixed your café.”

Hohenheim’s simple reply brought a hearty laugh out of the man. He rubbed his eyes. Both visitors noticed a tear escape down Benji’s cheek, but neither dared to comment. 

“I can see that. I suppose I should’ve asked _how_.”

Maes couldn’t help but grin and look to his companion. Hohenheim adjusted his glasses and looked the man in the eye.

“It was just basic alchemy, Benji,” the blond answered. “You have your daughter to care for. I didn’t want to see your café struggling if there was something I could do to help.”

“I’ve been trying to fix this place for nearly two years now. We had a really rough storm, and a massive tree fell on the building. I was finally starting to make some progress when Kayna got sick. At that point, he didn’t have any money to spend on repairs, but the building functioned well enough.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t expect you to understand what this means to me, but I hope you’ll allow me to express my gratitude.”

“That’s not necessary—“ Hohenheim tried to interject.

“Breakfast is on the house. It’s the least I could do. Feel free to stay as long as you need.”

Benji got up before they could utter another word to get them some water. 

Despite their protests, he refused to accept money from the two travelers for their breakfast; however, if they left twice the amount of money they should’ve paid on the table, they definitely didn’t sprint out of the café before Benji could have a chance to give it back to them.

***break***

_Fifty percent carbon, forty-two percent oxygen, six percent hydrogen, one percent nitrogen, and one percent trace elements. Imagine the separate molecules. Break them down. Reconstruct them._

Maes clenched his eyes shut, focusing on the energy coursing through his veins when his hands touched the circle. He did his best to ignore the sweat dribbling down forehead and the back of his neck. The energy began to fade, and he opened his eyes. 

His heart sunk when the block of wood was still completely intact. 

“You need to take longer rests between attempts.”

Maes huffed before taking Hohenheim’s advice. He laid down on his back, folding his arms behind his head. 

_That’s my seventh attempt today, and I haven’t done anything. Not a single part of the block has crumbled like it did last night._

He glanced at the man leaning against a nearby tree. The glare prevented him from seeing Hohenheim’s eyes, but he that didn’t stop him from noticing how relaxed the man’s face was. There wasn’t an ounce of tension in his shoulders either.

_He has an admirable amount of patience._

He shifted his gaze back toward the sky, noting that the sun was already starting its descent in the West. 

“You make it look so easy,” he muttered. 

He didn’t even realize he’d spoken aloud until Hohenheim chuckled right next to him. He held a canteen out to him, and Maes took it gratefully and sat up.

“I’ve also had a few centuries of practice.”

He took a drink, relishing the cool water running down his throat. He plopped right back down on the ground and closed his eyes. 

He must’ve dozed off because the sun was setting when he opened his eyes again. 

He quickly rolled over and got on his knees. Shaking his head, as if that would get rid of the sleepy haze plaguing him, he stared down at the circle. He didn’t dare to even think about putting his hands down until he was completely awake.

“You need to focus, Maes,” Hohenheim said. He looked over his shoulder, noting his companion was back leaning against the tree. “Focus only on that piece of wood. Just break it down into its basic components and reconstruct it. You have to ignore everything else.”

Maes nodded. He took a deep breath, turning his gaze back to the circle and the lone block of wood set in the middle of it. 

_You have to ignore everything else._

He pressed his palms to the ground. He instantly shut his eyes so he didn’t see the glow of the circle. The foreign energy coursed through him again, and he didn’t move a muscle. He wasn’t sure how long he stayed still. 

_You have to ignore everything else._

He focused on clearing his mind. 

_There’s no energy coursing through me. I’m just sitting here. I’m just breathing._

He let the energy keep surging through him until it felt as natural as his own breathing.

_Fifty percent carbon, forty-two percent oxygen, six percent hydrogen, one percent nitrogen, and one percent trace elements. Imagine the separate molecules. Break them down._

He imagined the molecules in the shape of that block of wood. He imagined them separating until they were just a pile. A crackle cut through the silence. A flash briefly illuminated the darkness behind his eyelids. His eyes flew open, and he instinctively retracted his hands from the circle. His breath caught in his throat.

The block of wood was gone, and dust was scattered across the transmutation circle.

His arms hung limp at his sides. His mouth hung open. He blinked, as if he were just imagining it and that piece of wood was still intact. A hand suddenly clapped him on the back. He nearly jumped at the contact.

“I have to say that I’m quite impressed,” Hohenheim said as he crouched down next to him. The glare on his glasses was gone, so Maes couldn’t miss the wide, gold eyes. “To be honest, I didn’t expect this from you this soon

“I…I didn’t reconstruct it, though,” he huffed.

“And that’s okay, Maes. It’s going to take more than a couple days to have a successful transmutation. We have time, so we’ll keep working at it. Soon, this will be second nature and you won’t be so drained after each attempt.”

The former military officer couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across his face. Hohenheim put a hand down on the circle. Only then did Maes realize he was starting to lean against the man. He barely registered the flash before his companion picked up the piece of wood and put it in his pocket. Hohenheim stood and picked him up under his arms. Wrapping an arm around his waist, the two slowly made their way back to the inn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Maes did it! Sort of, anyway. He’s got the breaking down part of it. That can still be useful…right….
> 
> I do apologize for a shorter chapter, but this just felt like the right place to end this one. I really enjoyed writing the beginning. It’s my headcanon that Hohenheim did these sort of things during his travels across Amestris. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I certainly hope you all are staying safe and well! Until next time!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I’m back just in time for Halloween! Although, that has absolutely nothing to do with this chapter. I hope all of you lovely people have been staying safe and healthy. Y’all’s feedback has been incredible and has encouraged me so much! Let’s get on with the fic!

Maes sprawled out on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He could hear the clunk of Hohenheim’s shoes hitting the floor and the rustling of him taking off his coat. 

_I did it. I actually did it! Well…kind of. I can completely deconstruct a piece of wood. If I study and practice more, then maybe in a few months…._

The light switched off. The exhaustion from the day crashed over him with the darkness. He sunk even deeper into the mattress. The other bed creaked as Hohenheim sat down. Summoning the last of his energy, he sat up, set his glasses on the nightstand, and pulled the blanket over himself. His eyes drooped shut, and sleep claimed him within seconds.

***break***

_His chest ached. His legs burned. He could hardly breathe, but he didn’t stop running. His shoulders hunched up around his ears as gunfire echoed all around him. A seemingly infinite number of footsteps followed him. He couldn’t get himself to risk a glance over his shoulder. Instead, he reached into his pocket and yanked out a crinkled piece of paper._

_The footsteps were getting even closer. Screams were directed at him. He flinched when someone fired another shot and a bullet whizzed by his ear. He willed his legs to move faster, but they only slowed. He stared straight ahead. He had to make it over the bridge. Not a single car could be heard on the street below. One look over the edge reminded him just how alone he was against his assailants._

_“Focus!” he muttered to himself. “Cement: forty percent calcium oxide, forty percent alumina, fifteen percent iron oxides, five percent silica.”_

_Once he made it across the bridge, he whirled around. At least twenty soldiers were rushing straight for him. A tall, lean figure led them; it was hard to miss considering whoever it was wasn’t wearing a uniform. Long, black locks sprouted from their head and swung back and forth while they ran. His blood ran cold._

_He slammed the piece of paper down on the ground._

_Blue flashes scattered over the bridge. The cracking cement drowned out the footsteps and screams. It only took a few seconds before it started to crumble. Chunks of cement plummeted to the street below, taking the homunculus and soldiers with it. He clenched his eyes shut when he heard the bodies hit the ground and the crunch that followed when they were crushed by the collapsing bridge._

_“HUGHES!”_

_The blood curdling scream made his eyes open right back up. He caught a glimpse of a familiar red coat before it plunged out of sight._

_“Ed!” he gasped._

_Without thinking, he sprinted down the road until it curved and descended until it leveled-out with the street below. He froze when he came face-to-face with the rubble that had once been the bridge. He slowly approached it. Blood splatters decorated the cement, and he could see a few limbs peeking out from between the blocks that had fallen on top of each other, crushing whoever had been unfortunate enough to get stuck between them. The air thickened around him while he circled the pile. He staggered when he spotted the red coat near the top._

_“What have I done?” he muttered._

_He climbed the rubble. His foot slipped, sending crumbled piece tumbling down to the ground. He forced himself to take a deep breath before finding a steady spot to grab on to. He pulled himself up and almost lost his grip when his head bumped a metal limb._

_Ed’s lifeless, golden eyes bore into his own. Blood trickled out of his open mouth. His automail limb had been spared, but the other was trapped with most of his body under a massive chunk of cement._

_“What have I done?”_

_“M-Maes….”_

_He completely lost his grip at the voice that came from somewhere beneath him. He scrambled to find something to slow his fall. He managed to hold on to another piece of rubble, catching himself a few feet before hitting the ground. A familiar head of black hair barely stuck out of the pile._

_“No…what have I done?”_

“Maes!”

He bolted upright, chest heaving. Sweat dribbled down his neck and soaked the collar of his shirt. He closed his eyes again, focusing on the firm hand that still remained on his shoulder. After a deep breath, he finally looked at his companion. Hohenheim must’ve turned on the lamp in the room because there was a glow coming from behind him, darkening most of his face, but he could still see that his eyebrows were knitted together. His mouth quirked into a grim line. He could sense the questions running through the man’s mind.

“Sorry,” he panted. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“No need to apologize. Is there anything—“

“What time is it?”

Hohenheim leaned away, giving him more space and taking his hand off his shoulder. He didn’t even seem phased by the question.

“It’s just after five. We’ve got four hours before our train leaves. I’d try to get some more sleep.”

“I can sleep on the train,” Maes said, throwing the covers off of him and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “Again, sorry for waking you. I’ll just shower and get our things packed and ready.”

The blond didn’t say anything else. He simply nodded and crawled back under the blankets. Maes got out of bed, but the cold floor against his bare feet made him want to jump right back in. He rummaged through his suitcase for a set of clean clothes. Noting that the room key sat on the lone desk in the room, he tiptoed over to the lamp and switched it off, plunging the room into darkness. He shuffled to the bathroom and closed the door as quietly as he could. 

He turned on the shower, leaning against the counter while the water warmed up. His hair clung to his forehead. A few beads of sweat dripped down the sides of his face. He shook his head when the mirror fogged up and steam started filling the small room. He sighed when the warm water hit his aching body. The physical tension slowly dissipated, but his mind was still racing.

_I can deconstruct a piece of wood. With more practice, I could deconstruct bigger objects…but what if I can’t move on from the deconstruction phase? I’ll be exactly like…._

He leaned his forehead against the wall. His hands clenched into fists when he thought of the Ishvalan. 

_The last time I saw Scar, he’d nearly killed Edward and Alphonse. I wonder if Roy’s found him…._

His chest tightened. He closed his eyes again and took another deep breath.

_You’re not like him. You haven’t trained enough to perform a transmutation beyond the deconstruction phase. It’s all going to be okay. You’ll see Roy again. You’ll see Edward and Alphonse again. You’ll see Gracia and Elicia again._

He didn’t realize how much time had passed until cold water was now pouring over him. Shivering, he quickly finished his shower. After drying himself off and getting dressed, he carefully opened the bathroom door, flinching when it creaked. He peered out into the room. Even if the noise had woken Hohenheim, the man hadn’t budged. He crept out of the bathroom and grabbed the room key. The door opened with a nearly silent click, and he closed it behind him before heading out of the inn.

He walked around the back of the building. He sat down, drawing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. He craned his neck back so he could stare straight up. More stars than he could comprehend twinkled across the dark sky. He grinned.

_I’ll definitely have to take Gracia and Elicia out to a town like this. You can hardly see the stars in Central. Maybe we’ll even come back here. We can eat at Benji’s café. We’d probably get to meet his wife and daughter! Maybe Hohenheim could bring Ed and Al here, too…._

A mix of pink and purple peeked just beyond the horizon. He looked up to the stars again, soaking them in before the rays of sunlight would make them disappear.

_“We’re head up to Liore. That will finish the counter circle.”_

_“Riots are tearing the city apart. At least, that’s the last information I had—“_

_“We don’t have any other options, I’m afraid. I don’t want to delay finishing this circle longer than we have to.”_

He ran a hand through his hair.

_I can’t really argue with his logic. That information is several weeks old. If this Father guy orchestrated it, we only have another reason to go._

The sun slowly started its ascent.

_After all, it’s another day closer to the Promised Day._

He reluctantly got to his feet and stretched, his popping joints breaking the silence. After taking one last look at the sunrise, he headed back into the inn.

***break***

_So much for sleeping on the train…._

Maes couldn’t get himself to even close his eyes, much less actually fall asleep. He settled for watching the trees flash by in a green blur. He veered his attention back to Hohenheim when the man stirred a bit. His forehead had a slight crease, and he unconsciously clutched the material of his pants.

_Looks like I’m not the only one having nightmares. I can’t even begin to imagine—_

“Van Hohenheim?”

The voice startled Maes out of his thoughts. His companion jerked awake and looked up. A woman in a long, white coat with black braids pulled back into a ponytail leaned against the seat. She smiled and glanced back to the man behind her, and he it took every fiber in his being not to gape at the size of the man.

_That guy could rival Armstrong…._

“I knew it was you!” she continued. “Sorry, I suppose I should introduce myself. I’m Izumi Curtis, and this is my husband, Sig. I’m Ed and Al’s teacher.”

That got Hohenheim to perk up. The train started to slow down. The different shades of green swiftly turned into a mixture of red and brown blurs as they pulled into the town. Before the two travelers could say anything, an attendant entered their car. The nervous looking woman approached the group.

“I’m very sorry, but I’m afraid we’re having to stop here in Dublith for the night. We should be up and running again first thing tomorrow morning!”

Maes simply grinned at the woman. He stood up and grabbed his suitcase.

“That’s all right!”

“This is actually our last stop, anyway,” Sig added, grabbing Izumi’s hand.

Hohenheim followed suit. The four got off the train and started walking down an alley.

“Finally, I get the chance to meet Ed and Al’s father,” Izumi said.  
“And I get the chance to meet the one who taught my sons.” Hohenheim couldn’t help but grin. “I’m sure they must’ve been a handful.”

Maes and Sig fell behind the two alchemists. The shorter man held his hand out.

“I’m Maes, by the way.”

Sig firmly grasped his hand and shook it.

“It’s very nice to meet you. Sorry to bother you two, Izumi and I couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw him. We’ve only heard about him from—Izumi!” Izumi had collapsed to the ground in a coughing fit, blood spewing from her mouth. Sig brushed past Maes and knelt down next to his wife. “Here, I’ll get your medicine!”

Hohenheim joined them.

“Do you mind if I take a look at her? I know a bit about the medical field. Sig, would you mind getting a car?”

Sig didn’t hesitate to run out of the alley and unto the street. Hohenheim motioned him over. Izumi was still hunched over.

“Maes, help her sit up.”

The former military officer dropped his suitcase and got down on his knees behind her, helping her straighten up and lean back against him. Hohenheim put a hand on her shoulder.

“You’ve seen the Truth, haven’t you?” He could feel Izumi stiffen. “It’s okay. You can trust both of us. You’ve seen it, right? What did it take from you?”

Trying to catch her breath, she nodded.

“My…m-my organs.”

The blond adjusted his glasses.

“I see. I apologize, this will hurt for a second.”

He plunged his hand into her stomach. Red flashes briefly danced around her body, and she lurched forward and vomited more blood. He tightened his hold on her arms to keep her mostly upright.

“What are you doing?” Sig’s voice boomed.

Heavy footsteps rapidly approached them. With a thud, Hohenheim flew and tumbled further down the alley. Maes only had a second to realize the man’s glasses had fallen off when he was shoved into the building just behind him. The impact with the brick knocked the wind out of him, and he slumped down the wall. Both suitcases skidded across the ground in the larger man’s haste. 

“It’s okay.”

Izumi’s voice no longer wavered. After blinking a couple times to clear the stars out of his vision, he could see her getting to her feet. Hohenheim groaned. Maes winced while he used the wall to help himself up.

_My back’s definitely going to be bruised tomorrow._

He stumbled over to his companion, somehow managing to bend down and pick up the man’s glasses. Extending a hand out to the blond, he helped him back up. They looked back to Sig and Izumi; the latter’s chest was heaving.

“It doesn’t hurt to breathe,” she said, eyebrows raised and eyes wide. She patted down her stomach. “There’s not even a wound.”

Hohenheim grinned.

“I rearranged your organs. It should be much easier for you to breathe from now on.”

Sig wrapped an arm around his wife and pulled her closer. Neither one of them could take their eyes off of Hohenheim.

“Who are you? I know you’re Ed and Al’s father, but….”

Izumi trailed off. Hohenheim picked up both suitcases. 

“We should probably get going—“

“Wait!” She stepped forward. “The train isn’t leaving until tomorrow morning. You’re more than welcome to stay with us for the night. Please, it’s the least we could do.”

Hohenheim turned to him, a single eyebrow raising. He gave a swift nod.

“Thank you. That’s very generous of you to offer.”

He grabbed his suitcase from the blond, and the two travelers followed Sig and Izumi out of the alley and down the street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is! I sincerely hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I do apologize that there wasn’t any alchemy…but now that our duo has met Izumi…that can only be a good thing, right? Anyways, I hope all of you lovely people are staying safe and staying healthy! Until next time!


End file.
